As I Lay Dying
by sofia313
Summary: At the age of 18, Damon became a father, but Giuseppe never allowed him to acknowledge his daughter, born out of wedlock. After becoming a vampire, Damon needs to protect his little girl from Stefan and from himself, so he sends her away. 10 years later she's dying, but her father isn't the only one interested in saving her.
1. Far from home

**Part 1**

**Far from home**

New Orleans, 1874

"Papa? Papa?"

Once again I called out for him, but I knew that he wasn't coming. For so many years I had waited and tried my best to be a good girl so he would come and take me back home. I had been 7 when he had cast me out and I still couldn't understand why. Had I been bad? Had I done something wrong? I remembered papa's comforting arms after mama had died and I remembered the happiness I had felt when he had scooped me up and spun me around.

I hadn't been allowed to call him papa in front of other people, but he had said that he was proud of me and in different circumstances he would have told that to the whole world. I knew that grandpapa had never liked my mama; she had been just a maid, not good enough for papa. Still he had allowed papa to take me in after mama had died. I remembered being scared of grandpapa, but sometimes he had been kind to me, patted my head and given me sweets or some new toy.

And I had loved Uncle Stefan, he had never been too busy to spend time with me. That had been before Miss Katherine had arrived, after that Uncle Stefan and papa hadn't seen anything except her. I remembered being angry and jealous, I had hoped that she would leave. Unfortunately it had been me who had left. Why? I still couldn't understand.

"Papa?"

"No, sweetheart, it's just me," the compassionate woman's voice said. She was wiping my forehead with a wet cloth, but I didn't really feel anything. My body was too numb to feel anything; I was losing my battle against the illness.

"Oh dear… You are burning up."

I blinked my eyes in order to see something, everything looked blurry.

"I-I'm dying, Elsa," I muttered weakly. "The-the fever is normal… I think."

She looked at me and burst into tears, I hadn't meant to upset her.

"Oh, my little Rosa," she sobbed. "Forgive me, I'm trying…"

"I know, Elsa, it's alright."

I gave her a weak smile when she took my hands between her owns. For the last 10 years she had been my family and I loved her with all my heart.

"I'm so tired…"

"Rest, sweetheart, rest," she said and gently stroked my hair.

"Do you think… Do you think I have time to see papa before I…"

"I sent him a word, I'm sure he will be here as soon as he can."

I wasn't so sure about that, I hadn't heard a word from him after he had cast me out. Maybe he had just forgotten me.

* * *

><p><em>Mystic Falls, 10 years earlier<em>

_"Stefan! Stefan!"_

_"Here, brother!"_

_Damon followed the bloodstains to the living room, this time his brother had gone too far… He froze in the doorway when he saw Stefan sitting on the sofa; Rosalie was sitting on his lap. There were dead bodies lying around the floor, but she didn't seem to mind, she was smiling and swinging her feet back and forth._

_"Hi, papa," she greeted him cheerfully._

_"What…what have you done?" Damon gasped._

_Stefan smiled, revealing his bloody fangs. "Come on, brother, we're just having some fun. Isn't that right, Rosie?"_

_"Uh huh," she confirmed. "Uncle Stefan is telling me a story…"_

_"Come here, Rosa," Damon cut in as calmly as he could. "Right now, sweetheart."_

_She looked confused and tried to jump to the floor, but Stefan wrapped his arm tighter around her._

_"Let her go," Damon demanded and marched towards the sofa._

_Stefan rolled his eyes._

_"Come on, brother, relax! We're all just a big happy family here, right Rosie?"_

_Clearly she couldn't understand what was going on, she looked more and more confused. Stefan grabbed her chin, his pupils were dilating._

_"Your papa is boring as hell, but we won't let him ruin our fun, no we won't…"_

_"Stop that," Damon snapped and tried to yank his daughter off Stefan's lap. "Give her to me!"_

_"Come on, don't be like that…"_

_"You won't use compulsion on my daughter!" Damon shouted. "Not ever again!"_

_"You want her to see all these bodies?" Stefan snorted. "You want her to see what we are?"_

_Rosalie looked at Damon insecurely; Stefan's words didn't make any sense to her. How could they, she was just an innocent child, she definitely shouldn't be here._

_"Papa?"_

_"It's alright," Damon muttered and lifted her up, this time Stefan didn't try to stop him. "Papa's here."_

_Damon felt terrible, this was all his fault. He should have sent her somewhere safe weeks ago when Stefan had killed their father. His brother was becoming more and more monstrous, how had Damon been foolish enough to think that Rosalie could stay here. A part of him had wanted to believe that nothing had changed, but he was lying to himself, everything had changed. He should just take Rosalie and leave…_ _Th-thump, th-thump, th-thump… No… He hadn't fed for days, he didn't want to become like his brother, but he couldn't fight against the thirst. Her head was leaning trustingly against his shoulder and her little arms were wrapped around his neck. She was his child and all he could think about was how good her blood smelled like. No! No, no, no! _

_"Is something wrong, brother?" Stefan asked grinning. "You don't look so well."_

_"I'm fine," Damon replied tensely and marched out, holding Rosalie in his arms. _

_"Please don't be sad, papa," she said when his tears were soaking into her hair. He couldn't say anything, he simply held her tighter. She was the only thing left of his human self, but he knew that he couldn't keep her. Maybe he was a monster now, but he could perform this last selfless act._


	2. An Unfortunate Incident

**Thank you for all the reviews, favs and alerts :) **

**Part 2**

**An Unfortunate Incident**

"_Come here, Rosa…. It's alright, sweetheart, papa's here… I know you miss your mama, but you'll always have me, I promise. I'll never leave you… My little girl…"_

"_I love you, papa."_

"_I love you too, sweetheart."_

I blinked my eyes, but I couldn't really see anything. I was weightless, floating in the air. Was I dead? Not yet, but soon, I could feel it. The thought didn't really frighten me as much as it probably should have, the fever made me too disoriented to be afraid. The room was dark, but I could see some light, Elsa had probably lit up few candles. The lights were dancing on the walls, just like little fairies from the stories Uncle Stefan had told me. His stories had always been exciting, full of adventures.

When I had been a child, I had dreamt of an adventure of my own. There were so many things I would have liked to experience, so many places I would have liked to see, but I never would. The thought made me sad, but there was nothing I could do except accepting the fact that my time was up. I only wished that I would have had a chance to say goodbye to papa. I sighed and was about to close my eyes when I heard footsteps.

"Elsa?" I muttered and blinked few times in order to clear my vision. Someone was standing beside my bed. "Elsa?"

"No," a male voice said. "She's not here."

For a moment I was confused, I turned my head in order to see who this man was.

"Good evening, Rosalie."

"Mr. Mikaelson?" I muttered disbelievingly. "What…what are you doing here?"

He sat down on the edge of the bed; I could see his face now.

"Still so formal," he stated. "As I have said several times, you may call me Kol."

"A-and as I have said se-several times, I don't call strange men by their first name. Mr. Mikaelson," I taunted, although I had to struggle to form a sentence so long.

I could see the amusement in his eyes before his lips curved into a grin.

"You still consider me as a strange man? Should I be offended?"

I tried to smile, but I didn't think that I succeeded so well.

"Ma-maybe. You shouldn't be here, I-I'm sick."

"Yes, so I heard," he stated. "That's the reason why I came here."

"What?"

He huffed and crossed his arms.

"This was not how I planned this, but unfortunately you don't leave me much choice, darling."

"I-I don't understand," I muttered, his words made no sense to me. He didn't have time to reply when I started to cough.

"Easy now," he said and lifted my head onto his lap. "Here, allow me."

I didn't protest when he brought a glass onto my lips, I thought that he was giving me some water, but the liquid tasted terrible and made me cough even more. He lifted my head up and tapped my back until I stopped coughing.

"Wha-what was that?" I finally managed to ask.

"Wine," he replied and lied me down.

"Wine?"

"Yes, some very special wine."

I couldn't understand why he had given me wine, but I was too weak to ponder about that, I couldn't even keep my eyes open. Just before I lost consciousness, I felt him caressing my cheek and heard him whispering something in my ear.

"Rest now, darling, I will see you again very soon."

* * *

><p><em>2 months earlier<em>

_The French Quarter seemed to be quite crowded this morning, but I didn't mind, I enjoyed running errands for Elsa. Hopefully I had remembered everything from the market, the fish, the eggs and the spices. We had our own little vegetable garden, which Elsa took very good care of. I often helped her and she had taught me a lot about different herbs. Absentmindedly I stopped and looked around; I needed to cross the street. There was a carriage approaching very fast, but I didn't pay much attention to it, not before I saw two playing children running in front of it. The driver wasn't going to stop or even slow down. When the children saw the carriage, they froze in terror and clung to each other, they were going to be trampled to death._

_"Stop!" I shouted and dropped my basket. I didn't think, I simply acted on instinct and ran in front of the children, hoping to shield them with my body. What was I doing, I was going to die… The next seconds felt like hours, I closed my eyes and covered my face, but I wasn't trampled, the driver managed to stop the horses just in time._

_"Crazy harlot!" he shouted. "What the hell you think you're doing!"_

_I opened my eyes and lowered my arms; my shock was slowly being replaced by anger._

_"What am I doing? What were you doing, you almost ran over these children!"_

_From the corner of my eye I saw that the children, a boy and a girl, were moving behind my back, clearly the driver scared them. He glanced at the children loathingly._

_"I didn't see them and who cares about some filthy little ragamuffins anyway. Now get the hell out of my way!"_

_"No!" I shouted back. "I demand you apologize!"_

_Was I crazy? Apparently. The driver's eyes darkened, he lifted his whip._

_"I'll teach you manners…"_

_Fortunately he didn't have time to teach me anything when the carriage door opened and a man stepped outside. He had dark brown hair and dark eyes, judging by his clothes he was wealthy._

_"What seems to be the problem here?" he asked calmly. The driver lowered the whip immediately, but I managed to speak before him._

_"The problem, sir, is that your driver almost ran over these children," I snapped. The man raised his eyebrows and looked at the driver, who suddenly seemed very uncomfortable._

_"She's lying, I didn't see the little ragam… children."_

_The man didn't seem pleased at all; he took a step towards me and looked at the children._

_"Are they injured?"_

_"I don't think so," I muttered and turned to look at them. "Is everything alright?"_

_The boy nodded after a brief hesitation._

_"Do you live somewhere near?" I asked._

_They both nodded. The man walked over to them and gave them few coins, the children looked stunned. So was I._

_"I apologize," he said calmly. "Go home and be more careful for now on."_

_The children looked at the coins in wonder; I doubted that they had ever seen that much money._

_"Thank you, sir," the boy said and took the girl's hand before they ran away. The man turned his eyes on me._

_"How about you, miss? Are you alright?"_

_"Yes, I'm fine," I replied. "That was very kind of you."_

_He smiled._

_"I'm not the one who saved those children. You are quite a brave young lady."_

_"Not really," I muttered. "Anyone would have done the same."_

_"I doubt that." He paused and gave me a polite bow. "Elijah Mikaelson, at your service, miss."_

_"Oh… Rosalie. Rosalie Aberdeen."_

_Aberdeen was Elsa's last name, but it had also been mine for the last 10 years._

_"It's nice to meet you, Miss Aberdeen. I would like to make up this unfortunate incident…"_

_"No, I don't want your money," I cut in, knowing how angry Elsa would be if I would accept any money from him. "I mean… I didn't mean to be rude, I just… The children are fine, that's all that matters."_

_He smiled and took something out of his pocket._

_"Perhaps I can give you this?"_

_I frowned and took the piece of paper from him. It was some sort of invitation. For the annual Mikaelson ball. I had heard about those celebrations, just like everyone in New Orleans, and I knew that many people would have done almost anything in order to receive an invitation._

_"I know this comes at short notice, but I hope to see you tonight," he said and bowed briefly. "Until then, Miss Aberdeen."_

_He turned around and walked back to the carriage. "You and I will have a little talk later," he said to the driver before getting into the carriage. The driver gave me a murderous look, but I was too distracted to even notice. I picked up my basket and headed home. The little girl in me was jumping for joy; I had never been in any kind of ball. How would have I been, Elsa and I certainly weren't the upper class. Our home was modest, but I would have never complained about that, I was grateful to have a home. Yet I couldn't help but to feel excited, I almost ran home._

_"Elsa!" I cheered as soon as I opened the front door. "You never guess what happened!"_

_Her expression was cautious when she appeared from the kitchen._

_"What?"_

_Eagerly I started to explain the whole thing; I was so excited that she didn't have an opportunity to say a word, not before I mentioned the name Mikaelson._

_"What?" she snapped. "You met one of the Mikaelsons?"_

_"Yes, Elijah Mikaelson, he invited me to their ball…"_

_"No."_

_The harshness of her tone surprised me._

_"But…"_

_"I said no," she snapped. "You are not going to that ball or anywhere near those people."_

_I was stunned, for a moment I couldn't do anything except stare at her._

_"What are you talking about…"_

_She stepped in front of me and grabbed my arms._

_"I'm serious, Rosa, you are not going to that ball."_

_"Why not?"_

_She pressed her lips together and looked at me tensely._

_"Those people… They are bad news, trust me on this. You will not go anywhere near them and that is final."_


	3. The night to remember

**Thank you guest reviewer for the wonderful idea :)**

**Part 3**

**The night to remember**

Elsa gave herself a moment to cry in the kitchen, she didn't want to cry in front of her little Rosa anymore. The girl was like her own child and now she was losing her. The healing potions weren't working and according to the doctors there was nothing they could do for her. She would never see her 18th birthday. Unless Damon would get here in time. Elsa pressed her lips together; she wasn't sure at all if she hoped for that to happen.

The only thing Damon could do was turning Rosa into an abomination like him. Elsa had never liked vampires, but she had loved Damon when he had still been a human, how could she have turned him down when he had asked her to look after Rosa. He had said that she was the only one he could trust with his daughter.

Elsa had always been a survivor and she was proud of it. When she had been a small child, her father had abandoned her in the woods because of what she was. Fortunately the Bennett family had taken her in; Emily Bennett had been like a sister to her. At the age of 16, Elsa had needed to start a life of her own and make a living, so she had ended up working in the Salvatore household as a nanny of Damon's illegitimate child.

Rosa had been 5 back then and she had just lost her mother. She had been a very quiet and sad little girl, confused and afraid of her harsh grandfather. The only person who she had trusted had been Damon. At first Elsa hadn't been sure of what to make of him, what kind of a man wouldn't wed the mother of his child, but Elsa had soon noticed how much Damon loved his daughter. He would have married Rosa's mother, but his father hadn't allowed that, no son of his would marry a maid.

Yet Damon had done his best to look after Rosa and her mother, he had supported them and secretly visited them as often as possible. He had been a good man, a good father; those had been the qualities Elsa had loved. She had sometimes wondered was there anything left of that man. Damon hadn't immediately become a monster like his younger brother, he had tried to hold on the shreds of his humanity, but that had been 10 years ago.

If Elsa wouldn't have given him her word all those years ago, she probably wouldn't have let him know that Rosa was sick. She didn't wish for Rosa to die, of course not, but she had no idea what kind of a person Damon was now. It was possible that he hadn't even received her message or if he had, he wouldn't care. Was he still capable of caring?

Elsa took a deep breath and dried her eyes; she needed to be strong now. For Rosa. She picked up a tray and headed to Rosa's room, the girl needed to eat or at least drink. Her eyes widened and she dropped the tray when she entered the room and saw the man standing next to her bed. He was in front of her in a fraction of a second and caught the tray before it hit the floor.

"Careful," he said smiling charmingly. "You don't want to wake her up, do you?"

"You," Elsa hissed as soon as she was able to speak. "Get out, you're not welcome here."

He clicked his tongue and walked over to the bed, placing the tray on the bedside table.

"Watch your tongue, little witch; remember who you are talking to."

Elsa glared at him icily, how dared he to come here.

"I know who I am talking to and you don't scare me."

He chuckled and stretched his arms before turning to look at her.

"In that case you truly are a fool. I have killed more witches than you can imagine…"

"If you touch me, you and your family will have to deal with the whole coven of New Orleans," Elsa cut in. "Perhaps you should ask your brother does he want that."

He smiled and ran his fingers softly over the edge of Rosa's bed.

"First of all, my brother's opinions mean nothing to me, second of all, we both know that Marilou Deveraux wouldn't risk the life of her witches for you and third of all…"

Elsa gasped when he grabbed her by the throat and shoved her against the wall.

"I don't respond well to threats," he finished, revealing his vampire face. "I will take what belongs to me."

Elsa struggled to stay calm; desperately she glanced at Rosa who fortunately was asleep.

"She will never be yours."

His lips curved into a smirk, despite of his obvious amusement, the darkness in his eyes made Elsa shiver.

"She already is."

* * *

><p><em>2 months earlier<em>

_"Wow…" I muttered when I looked at the mansion in front of me. It was huge. The yard was full of carriages and more and more was coming. The neatly dressed servants were helping the guests and taking care of the horses. I had come by foot and my feet were killing me. My best shoes really weren't made for long-distance walking or for climbing out windows. _

_Elsa would kill me if she would find out, but I intended to be home before she would notice that I wasn't pouting in my room. We have had a big argument; I couldn't understand why she had forbid me to come here. It wasn't like I would have this kind of opportunities very often; this was once in a lifetime thing. She hadn't even wanted to explain what was so bad about the Mikaelsons. _

_All I knew was that they were one of the wealthiest and the most powerful families in New Orleans; I had never heard anyone saying bad things about them. Sometimes Elsa was just too overprotective, she thought that I couldn't handle anything by myself. Still I felt guilty for sneaking out, I was sure that she had only tried to look after me. We didn't fight very often and usually I didn't disobey her, but this was something I had dreamt of. _

_Maybe it was a childish dream, but just this once I wanted to dress up and be someone else. I remembered the parties back home when I had been a child, but I always had to stay in my room, no one could know that I even existed. I had pressed my ear against the door and listened to the music. Papa had always brought me a tray of treats and danced with me after the guests had left. _

_I hadn't danced with anyone after that, but I hoped I would have an opportunity tonight. My blue dress looked quite modest comparing to the dresses the other women were wearing, but it was the nicest dress I had. Besides, I wasn't trying to impress anyone; this night was just for me. I felt more and more excited when I approached the front door; the butler frowned when he saw me._

_"This entrance isn't for maids," he stated coolly. "Use the backdoor…"_

_"I don't work here," I cut in. "I was invited."_

_He turned up his nose and looked at me disbelievingly when I handed him my invitation. Fortunately I hadn't told Elsa about it, she would have surely taken it. The butler pressed his lips together and examined the piece of paper carefully; like he would have been sure that it was a forgery or that I had stolen it._

_"Elijah Mikaelson invited me," I said firmly, this man was really starting to annoy me. I didn't appreciate being belittled, so a little bending of the truth didn't bother me so much. "I'm a personal friend of his and I demand to speak with him…"_

_"Forgive me, madam," the butler said quickly. "This was a misunderstanding; I did not realize who you are."_

_I didn't really understand what he meant by that, but I tried my best to look dignified when he stepped aside and bowed._

_"Welcome, enjoy the ball."_

_"Thank you, I am sure I will."_

_The entryway was gorgeous; I admired every little detail while following few other guests across the hallway. The hall was huge; the first thing I noticed was the magnificent crystal chandelier. The room was full of people; the whole society of New Orleans seemed to be here. I had never seen anything like this, the room was lighted with hundreds of candles and the orchestra was playing. _

_The servants were circling the room with trays; the liquid in the glasses was probably champagne. I couldn't believe I was really here; I had to stop myself from jumping up and down few times and letting out a little cheer of joy. Tonight I was a lady. First I wanted to know what champagne tasted like. I approached one of the servants, a middle-aged man, hoping to pick up a glass, but that didn't quite work out._

_"What do you think you're doing?" the servant asked angrily, but still keeping his voice down. "What do you think you are being paid for?"_

_I didn't have time to protest when he shoved me the tray._

_"Now hurry up, girl, or I'll send you to the kitchen."_

_"But…"_

_He marched away before I managed to say anything else. Great._

_"Girl!" someone called. "We need drinks here!"_

_That was the last straw, I was really angry now. This was my night; I wasn't going to let anyone ruin it._

_"I don't work…" I started angrily and turned around so fast that I bumped into someone, spilling every single drink on him._

_"Oh no…" I gasped. "Oh no, I'm so sorry."_

_His shirt and jacket was soaking wet. Very slowly he looked up; there was no expression on his face. He was a young man with quite handsome features, but that was the last thing on my mind right now, I tried desperately to find something to dry him with. All I could come up with was my scarf; he stared at me when I started to rub him with it._

_"I really am sorry, sir," I muttered. "I can… I can wash your shirt…"_

_"Girl!" the middle-aged servant snapped. "To the kitchen, right now."_

_I clenched my fists before I turned to look at him._

_"For the last time, I don't work here!" I snapped. "Just because I don't have a fancy dress, doesn't mean that I would work here, I was invited here as a guest!"_

_I was very much aware that people around me were staring at me, but I didn't care, obviously this had been a mistake. I forced myself to calm down and turned back to the man I had bumped into._

_"I apologize, sir. I'm leaving now, but I will make up the damage I caused, I promise you."_

_If I wasn't mistaken I saw amusement in his dark eyes before he spoke._

_"No need, darling, I have plenty of shirts. And jackets."_

_"That's good," I muttered. "Excuse me."_

_He stepped in front of me when I tried to walk away._

_"Why would you leave already, the night is still young," he stated._

_"I think I better go before I manage to ruin the whole party," I replied. "This was a bad idea."_

_"Nonsense," he huffed and waved his hand. "You haven't ruined anything."_

_"Except your shirt."_

_He smiled._

_"As I said, I have plenty of them, but if you want to make this up to me, there is something you could do."_

_"What's that?" I asked cautiously._

_"Dance with me."_

_"I don't think so," I blurted out; apparently my words surprised both of us. I had no idea why I had just said that, some instinct was warning me about him. That didn't make any sense; I didn't even know his name._

_"May I ask why not?" he inquired, apparently trying to decide was he annoyed or amused._

_I shrugged._

_"I don't dance with strangers."_

_"Ah. Perhaps you will allow me to introduce myself then. Kol Mikaelson."_


	4. The hunter and the fox

**Thank you for the reviews, favs and alerts :) Answer to mel's question, I haven't seen the second season yet, so I can't really say much about it :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Part 4<strong>

**The hunter and the fox**

_2 months earlier_

_My eyes widened when the man told me his name and softly touched my hand with his lips. He kept my hand in his longer than it would have been necessary and he was smiling. His smile was probably charming, but I saw something predatory in it. For some reason he reminded me of my friend Charlene's brother, Adrian, he thought that no woman could resist him. But to be fair, not many women usually wanted to resist him, he was gorgeous and he knew it. Elsa couldn't stand him and she had warned me about him, but I didn't think he was so bad. A little, or maybe a lot, arrogant and self-centered, not the kind of man I would be interested in, but I had seen worse men. At least Adrian Claire was loyal to his family and friends and he had always been a good son for Mrs. Claire._

_"Mikaelson?" I repeated. "This is your party?"_

_He finally let go of my hand before replying._

_"Well, I would say my brother's party. Personally I find these events quite…boring."_

_Boring? How could he say that? But then again, he was a Mikaelson, my once in a lifetime experience was nothing more than everyday thing for him._

_"Why are you participating then?" I asked, I didn't manage to hide the slight annoyance in my voice. If my outspokenness surprised him, he didn't show it, his smile grew wider._

_"In addition to the opportunity to get champagne all over my shirt, you mean? Well, there is always a small possibility to meet someone less boring."_

_Less boring? I had no intention to be his entertainment._

_"I hope you will find that someone, Mr. Mikaelson," I said and turned around, planning to head towards the door. Once again he stepped in front of me._

_"I didn't catch your name, miss," he said smoothly._

_"I didn't give it to you."_

_He looked at me expectantly, but I didn't add anything._

_"You are acting quite rudely," he stated after a moment of silence, but he didn't seem offended, more like amused._

_I shrugged._

_"I am a commoner, sir; surely you don't expect me to be sophisticated."_

_He smiled._

_"How did a commoner ended up here?"_

_"I was invited," I replied sharply. "I have an invitation…"_

_"I'm sure you do. Who invited you?"_

_"Elijah Mikaelson."_

_He raised his eyebrows._

_"Really? Are you a friend of his?"_

_"I… Not really."_

_I wasn't sure what to say, but I felt more and more out of place._

_"I should go now…"_

_"Tell me your name first," he said smiling. "I think you owe me that much."_

_I smiled too and shook my head._

_"What would you do with my name, sir?"_

_The intensity of his look told me that he wasn't going to give up, there was definitely something predatory about him._

_"Alright, perhaps I should call you Aphrodite then," he purred._

_I frowned; I had never heard that kind of name._

_"Why would you call me that?"_

_He took a step towards me and looked into my eyes._

_"She was a Greek goddess. The goddess of love and beauty. I think that's fitting since your beauty has truly captivated me."_

_For a moment I couldn't do anything except stare at him, he couldn't be serious._

_"I see you have a way with words, sir," I muttered. "I'm sure you have charmed many women with them. Excuse me."_

_He wasn't pleased when I tried to get past him, but he hid his annoyance quickly._

_"Did I somehow offend you, miss?"_

_I sighed._

_"My lack of wealth and education makes me neither stupid nor naïve, Mr. Mikaelson. I grew up in the French Quarter; do you really think I haven't met men like you before?"_

_"Men like me?" he repeated._

_"Hunters," I huffed. "Men who only care about their next conquest and see women as nothing more than prey."_

_"And you think I am that kind of a man?" he stated, observing me intently. "That is quite an assumption to make, especially since we just met."_

_I bit my bottom lip, I had definitely said too much. He wasn't Adrian or some other self-proclaimed Casanova from the French Quarter, I should have been more careful._

_"I apologize if I offended you…" I started, but someone interrupted me._

_"Miss Aberdeen."_

_I turned around and saw Elijah Mikaelson, he was smiling politely. "It's nice to see you again, I'm glad you were able to come."_

_"Thank you for inviting me," I replied._

_His expression tensed a little when he noticed Kol._

_"I see you have met my brother."_

_"Yes," I muttered._

_"We were in the middle of something," Kol said. "If you'll excuse us, brother…"_

_"Would you like to dance, Miss Aberdeen?" Elijah cut in, ignoring his brother. Kol's eyebrows furrowed, he wasn't pleased at all. The brothers were glaring at each other almost challengingly; I really couldn't understand what was going on._

_"Please," Elijah added and held out his hand._

_"Sure," I muttered and accepted his hand. Kol crossed his arms, but he didn't say anything. I was confused when Elijah led me to the dance floor, I couldn't understand what had just happened._

_"I should warn you, I haven't danced for a very long time," I said. "I apologize in advance."_

_He smiled._

_"I believe I will survive."_

_I couldn't help but to smile too._

_"I hope so. I already managed to spill few glasses of champagne on your brother; I wouldn't want to crush your toes."_

_He took my right hand in his left and cupped my shoulder blade with his right hand. It felt a little strange at first, but he kept a polite distance between us and there was nothing intrusive about his touch. I remembered this dance from my childhood, but unfortunately I had never been a very good dancer. He on the other hand was, I felt comfortable letting him lead. Even though he kept the polite smile on his face, he seemed absentminded._

_He kept looking at his brother, who was talking with some blonde woman. The woman seemed to have a good time, she was laughing. If I wouldn't have known better, I would have thought that she was laughing at Kol. Then I noticed the butler who had let me in. He was whispering something to a man who had a sandy blonde hair. I didn't pay much attention to them, although I noticed that the man looked at me and smirked. Elijah tensed and stopped dancing; I looked up in order to see his face._

_"Is something wrong?" I asked._

_"I must escort you home," he stated tensely. "Right now."_

_"What…" I started when he took my hand and led me determinedly towards the door._

_"Forgive me, I have no time to explain right now," he muttered._

_I frowned, what was going on here…_

_"Brother!" the blonde man said while blocking our way. "Where are you going?"_

_"The lady needs to get home," Elijah replied tensely. "She… is not well."_

_What? I was just about to ask him what he was talking about, but the blonde man spoke first._

_"I'm sorry to hear that."_

_He was staring at me very strangely; I didn't like it at all._

_"I heard that she is… a personal friend of yours, I'm guessing that she's the little secret you have been keeping from me. Am I right?"_

_"No," Elijah replied calmly. "I'm not keeping any secrets. I barely know her, we just met today."_

_The blonde man grinned._

_"Is that so? And here I thought that you were embarrassed to introduce me to your special little lady."_

_"There is nothing special about her," Elijah stated._

_"Excuse me?" I snapped._

_The blonde man chuckled._

_"Oh dear, where are your manners, brother?"_

_He took my hand and kissed it. "Niklaus Mikaelson, but you may call me Klaus. And who might you be?"_

_"Leaving," I snapped. Elsa had been right; there was something wrong with these people._

_"Feisty, isn't she?" Niklaus chuckled. "I like that. Her name?"_

_"Abigail Williams," Elijah replied tensely. My eyes widened, was he insane? I was about to protest when he grabbed my arm. "Excuse us, brother."_

_"Hey!" I snapped when he dragged me to the hallway. "What do you think you are doing?"_

_"Forgive me," he muttered tensely. "I can't express how sorry I am for getting you into this, I should have never…"_

_"What are you talking about?" I asked when he didn't continue._

_He didn't answer, he simply dragged me outside._

_"Don't worry, I will take you home…"_

_"Rosa!"_

_I swallowed when I heard Elsa's angry voice, she was marching towards us._

_"Hi…"_

_"Not a word," she warned and glared at Elijah briefly before taking my hand. He didn't have a chance to say anything when she started to drag me away._

_"Do you have any idea…" she started angrily._

_"I know," I muttered, I felt ridiculous. "I'm sorry, you were right, I shouldn't have come here."_

_I felt even more terrible when I saw that she had rented a carriage to come here and pick me up. We both got in without saying a word._

_"Are you alright?" she asked after a long silence._

_I nodded._

_"I'm fine, just embarrassed. I'm sorry; I should have listened to you."_

_"What happened?"_

_"Honestly?" I sighed. "I have no idea. Those people were just…weird."_

_"I can believe that," she muttered. "But they didn't hurt you?"_

_"What? No, of course not."_

_"Good. You must never go near them again."_

_"Don't worry," I huffed. "I have no intention to go near them."_

_I felt relieved when we were home; I never wanted to see these shoes again. The night was chilly and the wind made me shiver, but I waited for Elsa to pay the driver. Suddenly I had a very unpleasant feeling, someone was watching me. I looked around, but I couldn't see anyone. Surely I had just imagined the whole thing._


	5. Hidden

**Part 5**

**Hidden**

Elsa poured herself another glass of wine; she really needed to calm her nerves. It would be morning soon and she hadn't slept at all. Everything was fine, the damn vampire had left. He would come back; there was no doubt about it. She had to protect Rosa from him, no matter what it would take. The coven wouldn't help her, unfortunately the vampire had been right about that, but that didn't mean that she would be all alone. Why couldn't that bastard leave Rosa alone, the poor girl was already dying? There had to be a way to stop him… The knock on the door almost made her jump; she placed her glass on the table and hurried to open the door.

"Elsa," the middle-aged witch behind the door greeted her.

"Thank you for coming so quickly, Maggie," she replied and took a step back. "Please, come in."

The witch gave her a cautious smile before stepping inside. Elsa noticed that Maggie's son, Adrian was sitting on a wagon in front of the house, he greeted Elsa with a nod before she closed the door.

"I assume that this is about Rosalie," Maggie said. "Have her condition got worse?"

"No, not really, but you are right, this is about her."

Elsa paused and took a deep breath, Maggie waited patiently for her to continue.

"I need your help, Maggie."

"Of course, what can I do?"

Elsa pressed her lips together and stepped in front of her friend.

"I need to hide her from Kol Mikaelson."

Maggie's eyes widened.

"What? Elsa…"

"Please, I'm begging you, I need your help."

Maggie sighed and took her hands between her owns.

"Elsa, you know I would want to help you, but you heard what Marilou said, the coven doesn't want a war with the Originals…"

"I know and I'm not asking you this as a member of the coven, I'm asking as your friend. What if this would be Charlene, wouldn't you do anything to protect your daughter?"

Maggie was quiet for a while; finally she closed her eyes and sighed.

"Yes, I would. I will help you to hide her, but after that you are on your own; I won't put my children in harm's way."

"I would never ask that," Elsa replied and hugged her. "Thank you, my friend, I won't forget this."

* * *

><p><em>2 months earlier<em>

_Elijah paced back and forth in his room; he couldn't believe that everything had gone so wrong. Why had he invited that girl? It had seemed like a nice gesture, but he hadn't thought it through, he had been in a hurry. Hurry to get to her… He closed his eyes and tried to pull himself together, things couldn't go on like this. Now he had managed to drag an innocent girl into his mess. _

_Niklaus thought that this girl was what Elijah had been hiding from him and Kol had clearly chosen her as his next target. The poor girl didn't deserve any of this; she certainly didn't deserve to pay for Elijah's bad judgment. But then again, how could have Elijah predict this? Kol wasn't supposed to participate at all, he had said that he had other things to do tonight, and who had said to Niklaus that this girl was Elijah's "personal friend"? Either way, the damage was already done. _

_Drink… He really needed a drink. No, he couldn't, not this soon. Her body needed more time to recover. Elijah stopped in front of a mirror and looked at his reflection, he was disgusted with himself. His siblings already guessed that he was hiding something from them, but if they would only know… No, he couldn't let them know. He could stop whenever he wanted. He could. He closed his eyes and forced himself to concentrate; he needed to be in control. He was the moral one, wasn't he? A gentleman. Sure. No, he should have never let things to go this far…_

_"Hello, brother," Kol's cheerful voice said from the door. "Is this a bad time?"_

_Elijah didn't have time to say anything when his brother was already marching in._

_"What is it, Kol?" Elijah muttered tensely, he was in no mood for small talk._

_His brother gave him a smile and casually sat on one of the armchairs, lifting his feet on the coffee table._

_"My, my, someone is grumpy this morning, didn't you sleep well? Or is stealing other people's dinners just too exhausting?"_

_"She wasn't your dinner," Elijah replied coolly. "She was my guest."_

_"Yes, so I heard," Kol hummed. "Your…personal friend, was she?"_

_Elijah didn't bother to comment on that, his brother was already testing his patience._

_"What do you want, Kol?" he huffed, trying to keep his tone as neutral as possible._

_Kol grinned and leaned back on his seat._

_"Let me tell you what I think. That wasn't her, was it?"_

_"What?"_

_"The girl. She wasn't your little secret. I don't get why Nik thought that you would just bring her here after trying so hard to keep her hidden."_

_"I have no idea what you are talking about," Elijah replied coolly._

_Kol's grin grew wider; he looked very pleased with himself._

_"Sure, let's pretend that if you insist. But just so you know, you're not very good at keeping secrets, even Bekah have noticed something."_

_Elijah kept his face free from emotions; he would have preferred not to continue this conversation._

_"I believe I am entitled to have a personal life, I don't feel the need to share everything with you."_

_"Of course," Kol replied smiling. "I think it's great; what man wouldn't need some…release for every now and then. You have acted like some monk ever since that witch of yours died…"_

_"Don't talk about Celeste," Elijah snapped._

_"Touchy subject? I understand."_

_Elijah clenched his fists, he was about to lose his patience._

_"I have things to do, so if you don't mind…"_

_Kol smiled and stretched his arms before getting up._

_"About the girl," he started smoothly. "As you know I'm a polite person, so I wanted to make sure that I'm not stepping on your toes. Clearly I'm not."_

_"Meaning what?" Elijah asked tensely._

_"Meaning that she's fair game," Kol replied smiling and headed to the door. "You should go and see your plaything, big brother, you seem quite tense."_

_"Kol, you will leave that girl alone…"_

_Unfortunately his brother was gone before he managed to finish his sentence. Damn it. He needed to do something. Like what, he didn't know where the girl lived. Hopefully neither did Kol._


	6. Sanctuary

**Part 6**

**Sanctuary**

_4 months earlier_

_Elijah stayed in the shadows, waiting patiently. He needed to make sure that he wasn't followed. That shouldn't be possible; he had taken all the necessary precautions, but better safe than sorry. It was past midnight already, so the street was quiet, all he saw was a carriage and few drunks, probably returning from a tavern. The two-storey house across the street was dark, he didn't detect any movement. Of course she was sleeping in this hour. _

_He bit his bottom lip and considered to go back home, he could come back in the morning. No, he couldn't. He really, really needed a drink. He truly was pathetic, like some opium user. She was his own personal opium and he couldn't get enough. Just her scent was enough to drive him crazy. What he was doing was against everything he believed in, but he couldn't stop. Yes, he could and he would, after tonight. This would be the last time. _

_The coast was clear, no one was following him. Silently he jumped over the fence and headed to the front door. It was locked, of course, but he had a key. The house was quiet; Alma and probably few maids were sleeping in some of the bedrooms downstairs. Alma was an elderly witch who didn't get along with other witches and she had never been a part of the coven, so she hadn't had any problem working for Elijah. He paid the witch generously for living in this house and keeping an eye on her, his special girl. _

_She wasn't a prisoner, of course not; he was just trying to keep her safe, like he had promised. Yes, he was a true hero. He zoomed upstairs; her room was in the attic. The room was big and it was decorated just for her, she had gotten everything she had asked. She was sleeping in her canopy bed; her scent was already filling his nostrils, making his fangs to come out. No, he needed to control himself. Finally he felt more in control, he certainly wasn't going to just jump on her. Slowly he walked over to the bed and bent down to touch her warm cheek. Her eyes flew open immediately and no more than a second later she was in a sitting position; she was ready to defend herself._

_"It's alright," he said quickly. "It's alright, it's just me."_

_She relaxed when she recognized him; her racing heartbeat was slowing down._

_"You scared me," she murmured sleepily._

_"I apologize, that wasn't my intention."_

_"What time is it?"_

_"It's late, again I apologize."_

_She rubbed her eyes, waiting for them to get used to the dark. Neither of them said anything when he lit up a candle on her bedside table._

_"Better?" he asked._

_"Yes, thank you."_

_"I brought you something," he said and picked up a book out of his pocket; it was brand new, just published, he had bought it earlier today. She took it and looked at it curiously._

_"Journey to the Center of the Earth?" she read from the cover._

_"Yes, I heard that it should be good, I haven't read it yet myself."_

_She looked at it for a while before placing it on the bedside table._

_"Thank you."_

_"You're welcome."_

_He paused and cleared his throat before sitting on the edge of the bed._

_"So, how was your day?" he asked, trying his best not to look at her jugular veins. She sighed and lied down on her back._

_"You know how much I appreciate your efforts to make this more pleasant for me, but right now I'm tired and I can tell you're hungry, so…"_

_She tilted her head sideways, exposing her neck to him completely._

_"Go ahead."_

_He really had to struggle to control himself; carefully he leaned forward and touched her neck with his thumb._

_"You are beautiful," he muttered, using all the self-control he still had left. She didn't say anything and her heartbeat remained steady, she wasn't afraid of him. Softly he kissed her neck before puncturing her skin. She flinched a little, although she had gotten used to this already. The first drops were always the most euphoric ones; he was floating in the air. That was what her blood was, liquid euphoria. Perfect moment of happiness. Any vampire would kill to have her. She was his, only his._

_"Elijah… Elijah, that's enough."_

_Her voice brought him back to reality; he forced himself to pull away. She was breathing heavily under him; she hadn't been kidding about being tired. Quickly he bit his wrist and placed it onto her mouth. She hated this part, the taste of his blood, and she only drank few drops, enough to heal the bite marks. Gently he touched her cheek and kissed her forehead before rolling on his back beside her._

_"Are you alright?"_

_She nodded._

_"Fine, just tired. Can you stay with me?"_

_"Yes, of course."_

_She smiled and snuggled against him, he wrapped an arm around her._

_"I love you," she muttered, making him feel like the most despicable person in the world._

_"I love you too."_

* * *

><p>"Be careful with her," Elsa said tensely when Adrian lifted Rosa into his arms. She was barely conscious and Elsa had wrapped a blanket around her, but she was shaking, the ride in the wagon certainly hadn't helped her.<p>

"I'm doing my best," Adrian replied. "She feels very warm."

"Papa…" Rosa murmured and wrapped her arms around Adrian.

"Oh, sweetheart," Adrian chuckled. "I always knew you would warm up to me. This wasn't exactly how I imagined it…"

He swallowed the rest of his sentence when Elsa gave him a murderous glare.

"Sorry, I didn't mean…"

"Excuse my son," Maggie huffed. "He may have inherited his father's good looks, but unfortunately he seemed to inherit his so called sense of humor as well."

Adrian was smart enough to stay quiet; Elsa glared at him briefly before turning to look at the building in front of them. It was a small church, a sanctuary. The priest, Father Kane, was an old friend of Maggie's and he knew a thing or two about vampires. According to the rumors, he had used to be a hunter.

"Bring her inside," Maggie said to Adrian. Elsa stayed next to him when he carried Rosa to the door, she was mumbling something.

"No… I can't… He's angry…"

"Shh, shh," Elsa tried to calm her. "It's alright, Rosa, we're almost there."

"Father Kane," Maggie greeted the priest who was standing in the doorway. He was in his late forties; he had dark hair, a neat beard and pale green eyes.

"Come in, come in," he said. "The poor child needs to lie down."

He led them towards the altar; there was a door behind it. He opened it and stepped aside, allowing Adrian to carry Rosa to the hallway which led to an old staircase. In the cellar there was a small room, already prepared for Rosa. It was modest but tidy; there was a small bed, a table, a chair and a bowl of water. Rosa was trembling when Adrian placed her on the bed.

"Thank you," Elsa said coolly and tucked Rosa in. "And thank you, Father," she added, turning to look at the priest.

"No need to thank me," the priest replied. "I will help you to protect this child, you have my word. No vampire can enter this church."

Elsa nodded gratefully.

"I'm glad to hear that. Do you mind if Maggie and I would still… arrange some extra protection?"

The priest smiled.

"Well, I should mind, this is the house of Lord, but I trust that He will understand."

"Thank you." Elsa looked at Maggie. "Will you help me to cast a protection spell before you leave?"

"Of course, Adrian will help as well. Together the three of us can make sure that….the vampire in question can never come near Rosalie again."


	7. Making friends

**Part 7**

**Making friends**

_2 months earlier_

_"You didn't!" Charlene gasped and leaned closer to me. We were in her small room, sitting on her bed. "Alright, missy, start talking!"_

_I couldn't help but laugh; I had always loved her enthusiasm, she was definitely the liveliest and the most impulsive person I had ever met. We had been friends ever since Elsa and I had moved to New Orleans 10 years ago. Her mother Maggie was one of Elsa's closest friends, she was a midwife. Charlene was almost a year younger than me, but she was already training to become a midwife as well. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but I would be 18 after 5 months, so I really needed to start to make some kind of plan. So far I had helped Elsa making all kinds of lotions and medicines out of different herbs; that had given us a decent living. Of course I had the obvious choice, to find a husband, but I wasn't too thrilled about that._

_"It sounds better than it was," I said._

_"How is that possible? You went to the Mikaelson ball!"_

_"Yes, and I'm telling you, those events really are overrated. At least if you are dressed like a maid."_

_"What?"_

_I explained to her briefly what had happened. She interrupted me several times with her questions and comments, as she usually did, but finally I managed to finish my story._

_"You met all three Mikaelson brothers?"_

_"Yes, but as I said, two of them were weird and one… well, he was Adrian."_

_"Did I hear my name?"_

_I turned to look at the door and saw Adrian standing in the doorway, he was shirtless and his muscular upper body looked sweaty._

_"Ladies," he greeted us grinning._

_"What are you doing?" Charlene snorted. "Put some clothes on."_

_"I was just chopping wood, sister," he replied. "I should wash myself, perhaps someone would like to wash my back?"_

_He looked at me while he spoke, I rolled my eyes._

_"Good luck finding that someone."_

_He smiled._

_"Still fighting against your feelings, are you? We both know you want me."_

_"In that case we both are wrong," I replied._

_"Denial is such an unpleasant thing," he purred. "But don't worry, sugar, I can wait."_

_I huffed, but I couldn't help but smile, despite of the whole Casanova act, I did like him. As a friend._

_"Prepare for a long wait, sugar."_

_"We'll see," he replied and winked at me before walking away._

_"You are an ass!" Charlene snorted after him. "Honestly, sometimes I can't believe I'm related to him."_

_"Come one," I giggled. "He's not so bad, just… an ass, like you said. Most men are."_

_We both laughed at that._

_"Rosalie?" Mrs. Claire called out from the kitchen. "I'm finished."_

_"I have to go," I said and hugged Charlene before getting up. "Elsa is expecting… whatever your mother was supposed to give her."_

_"Alright, I'll see you soon."_

_I went to the kitchen and took the small package Mrs. Claire handed to me._

_"What is this?" I asked._

_"Just some…herbs," she replied. "Be careful with these and hurry home."_

_"I will, thank you, Mrs. Claire."_

_I felt good when I headed to the street; I had really needed that talk with Charlene. The ball three nights ago had been a terrible idea, but now I could forget all about it. Fortunately Elsa wasn't mad at me and everything was back to normal. Maybe I never got the chance to taste champagne, but at least I had danced… My thoughts were cut off when I turned around the corner and bumped into someone, making him to drop the basket he was carrying._

_"I'm so sorry…" I started and bent down to pick up the basket. He bent down at the same time and the next thing I noticed was that I was looking into the dark eyes of Kol Mikaelson._

_"Mr. Mikaelson?" I gasped, I was more than surprised._

_"Miss… riddle," he replied smiling. "We have to stop meeting like this."_

_"What are you doing here?" I asked and handed him the basket._

_"Thank you. I have some errands to run in this neighborhood," he replied. "And you?"_

_"I was visiting a friend."_

_"Ah. You live nearby?"_

_I remembered Elsa's warnings and this time I was certainly going to listen to her._

_"Not really. I'm sorry, but I have to go, have a nice day, Mr. Mikaelson."_

_"Actually, I could use some help," he said before I managed to walk past him. "This neighborhood isn't familiar to me; maybe you could help me find this address."_

_I took the piece of paper he picked up out of his pocket, I recognized the address immediately. It was the house of Mrs. Duquesne, an elderly lady who had recently lost her husband. Her small house was in a terrible shape and she couldn't afford to renovate it, but many of her neighbors helped her when they could. Elsa had often sent me to take some herbal medicine for her free of charge; she was a very sweet old lady. I had just been in her house yesterday._

_"Yes, I know where this place is," I said. "It's not here; you are in the wrong part of the French Quarter."_

_He frowned and stepped next to me in order to look at the paper._

_"I am? Damn it…"_

_He stared at the paper absentmindedly and bit his bottom lip. I couldn't control my curiosity._

_"Why are you going to Mrs. Duquesne's house?"_

_"I'm taking her this," he replied, lifting the basket._

_"Oh. What's that?"_

_He smiled and lifted the cloth which was covering the content of the basket. It was full of food._

_"Mrs. Duquesne used to work for my family and I like her very much," he said. "I heard that she has been unwell, so I thought this is the least I can do."_

_For a moment I was speechless, all I could do was stare at him._

_"You….are taking her food?"_

_"Yes," he replied, he sounded a bit offended. "I understand it must be difficult to believe, but even 'a man like me' is capable of doing decent things."_

_I felt embarrassed; I had certainly been rude to him._

_"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," I said._

_"That's alright," he replied smiling. "I suppose I was quite…tacky at the ball, but between you and me, those events always make me nervous."_

_"Nervous?" I repeated disbelievingly._

_He nodded._

_"Yes, I feel the need to play a certain part; that is what people are expecting of me. You know; a wealthy and not so unattractive bachelor."_

_"Oh please," I huffed. "If you are trying to say that you are actually an insecure little boy…"_

_"No, I'm not saying that. I'm aware that many people find me attractive, but there's more to me than my appearance."_

_I couldn't help but to smile._

_"Like modesty."_

_He shrugged._

_"I could be modest, but I can't see why I should be. How many women find insecure men attractive?"_

_"You might be surprised," I replied. "Many women are tired of being treated like some mindless objects. We have thoughts, you know."_

_"Yes, I can hear you loud and clear. It's actually refreshing to talk with a woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind."_

_"A peasant, you mean?" I asked sharply._

_He sighed._

_"There's just no way of pleasing you, is there? Alright, I give up; I promise not to say nice things to you anymore."_

_I burst into laughter, I couldn't stop myself._

_"I'm sorry; I have been told that I can be a bit… difficult."_

_He pretended to be shocked._

_"You? No!"_

_I grinned and almost slapped his shoulder before I remembered who he was, I did have some manners._

_"Ha, ha, that's funny. But about your problem, I can walk with you to Mrs. Duquesne's house; the place can be difficult to find if you haven't been there."_

_"I couldn't ask you to do that…"_

_"No, no, it's fine. Besides, I did ruin your shirt."_

_"So you did," he replied smiling. "Alright, I accept your generous offer, Miss riddle."_

_"It's Rosalie," I said. "Rosalie Aberdeen."_

_"That's a lovely name, better than Aphrodite…And I'll just stop now," he finished when I gave him an annoyed look. "My apologies, old habit."_

_"Flattering women you mean? How does that usually works out for you?"_

_He shrugged._

_"Quite well actually."_

_"Good for you. It's this way."_

_We walked quietly side by side for a while; I wasn't sure at all if this was a smart thing to do. I should have gone straight home, not to mention if Elsa would hear that I was with a Mikaelson… But he was taking food for Mrs. Duquesne; I knew that she needed it._

_"So, why did you decide to deliver this food yourself?" I asked after a moment of silence. "I'm sure you have plenty of staff."_

_"Yes, but I wanted to see Mrs. Duquesne, I have missed her," he replied._

_"What kind of work did she do for you?"_

_"Well… She was actually my nanny."_

_I turned to look at him._

_"Really?"_

_"Yes, one of my nannies to be precise, but I liked her the most, she was always very kind."_

_I nodded._

_"Yes, she's a sweet woman. And I think it's wonderful you are doing this for her."_

_"Of course. As I said, this is the least I can do. And I enjoy walking, that's why I didn't bring the carriage."_

_"I like walking as well, but then again, I don't have much choice, we don't have a horse."_

_"I can give you one if you like."_

_"No, thank you," I huffed. "I don't tend to accept expensive gifts from strange men."_

_"I was just trying to be nice…"_

_"By offering me a horse? Really? In exchange for what exactly?"_

_"I'm sorry," he muttered. "I…I didn't mean to offend you, it's just…"_

_"What?" I asked when he didn't continue._

_He sighed._

_"This might sound pretentious, but I am accustomed to give gifts to people I like, I didn't mean any harm. And I certainly wasn't implying…"_

_"Wait, what? People you like? You don't even know me."_

_He smiled._

_"Based on what I have seen, I would very much like to get to know you."_

_I was suddenly very uncomfortable, this wasn't good at all. Elsa had warned me about the Mikaelsons, I needed to listen to her._

_"Listen, Mr. Mikaelson…"_

_"Kol," he interrupted me. "Please call me Kol."_

_"I think I prefer Mr. Mikaelson. Anyway, I'm…flattered, but that wouldn't be a good idea."_

_"Why not?"_

_I shook my head._

_"It just wouldn't be."_

_"I see. Are you spoken for?"_

_"No…I mean yes, yes I am."_

_He raised his eyebrows._

_"Really? Who is this lucky man?"_

_"That's not important," I said quickly, I had no idea what I was doing. "The point is that I don't want to get to know you… I mean… You seem like a nicer person than I first thought, but…"_

_He smiled._

_"I understand. Do you think that we could still be friends?"_

_"Sure," I muttered, I had already been rude enough for the man. "I just don't get why you would want to be my friend."_

_He looked at me and tilted his head; there it was again, the predatory look._

_"Well, Miss Aberdeen, I haven't met anyone quite like you and I would love to learn more. As a friend."_

_"Right… As long as we understand each other. I'm not interested in becoming your…anything, so if that is what you are after…."_

_"No, it's not, I can assure you. Your friendship will be more than enough."_


	8. Naughty boy

**Part 8**

**Naughty boy**

_2 months earlier_

_Kol kept the polite smile on his face while accepting the cracked teacup from the old woman._

_"Thank you, Mrs._ _Duquesne."_

_"You are welcome, my dear boy, it's so good to see you again," the woman replied warmly. _

_"It's good to see you too," he replied smiling. _

_Mrs. Duquesne turned to look at Rosalie who was sitting on a shabby sofa. _

_"He is such a sweet boy," the woman said. "So thoughtful."_

_Rosalie smiled at her._

_"I didn't know that you have worked as a nanny."_

_"I did, but that was many years ago. This handsome young man was just a little boy back then."_

_"Really?" Rosalie asked and gave Kol a grin. "How was he like as a child?"_

_The woman's face brightened and she moved in front of the armchair where Kol was sitting. _

_"He was just adorable and always so polite," Mrs. Duquesne replied warmly and tapped Kol's cheek. He made a mental note to himself to wash his face as soon as he would get home. Oh well, this was a necessary sacrifice to make in order to achieve his goal, although he had probably overdone it with his compulsion. Or maybe not, the girl seemed impressed. _

_When he had followed her home from the ball, he hadn't formulated a plan yet, but now he was truly enjoying himself. A challenge. Finally, he had been so bored lately. He had followed her for the last three days, learning everything he needed to know about her, including her connection to this old woman. He was good, even if he said so himself. Now he was finally ready to play. _

_"You are too kind, Mrs. Duquesne," he said smiling. This place was truly disgusting; he couldn't wait to get out. He felt that he needed a bath. Rosalie drank her tea and stood up._

_"I'm sorry, but I really have to go now," she said. "It was nice to see you, Mrs. Duquesne. You too, Mr. Mikaelson."_

_"Would you like me to walk you home…" he started._

_"No, thank you, that won't be necessary. Bye."_

_"Wait," he said and stood up when he noticed the small package on the sofa. "You forgot this."_

_She turned to look at him when he picked the package up, he could tell right away what was in it. Vervain. What… _

_"Thank you," she said and reached for the package when he suddenly grabbed her shoulders, pretending that he was about to faint._

_"Mr. Mikaelson? Hey, are you alright?"_

_"I'm a little dizzy," he muttered. "I think I need to sit down…"_

_"It's alright, I'll help you," she said calmingly and guided him on the sofa. During the process he got the opportunity to sniff her, there was most definitely vervain in her system. Interesting. Apparently he didn't know everything about her. _

_"Here, lie down," she said and touched his cheek in a calming gesture. Her touch felt quite nice, she was just about to help him on his back when Mrs. Duquesne practically shoved her aside._

_"My poor boy! It's alright, I'm here!"_

_Oh great. _

_"Do you need a doctor?" Rosalie asked. "I can…"_

_"No, no," he replied quickly, Mrs. Duquesne was fussing over him. "I haven't eaten anything today, I have been too busy. Sometimes that makes me dizzy."_

_"Oh. Is there something I can do to help?"_

_He tried his best to look weak._

_"Actually, if you could help me to eat something…"_

_"I will do that," Mrs. Duquesne interrupted him firmly. "You can go home, sweetheart, I will look after my dear boy."_

_"Are you sure?" Rosalie asked. "I can help…"_

_"Yes, I'm sure, go."_

_Kol felt a need to strangle the damn woman; she had ruined a great opportunity. _

_"Can you get home by yourself?" Rosalie asked._

_"Yes," he replied smiling. "I will feel better after eating something."_

_"Alright, if you are sure…"_

_"I am."_

_She nodded and gave him a smile._

_"Take care, Mr. Mikaelson."_

_His smile vanished as soon as she had closed the door behind her. _

_"You shouldn't get up…" Mrs. Duquesne started._

_"The show is over," he huffed and compelled the woman to think that he had eaten before he left, just in case Rosalie would brought it up. "Enjoy the food."_

_He wasn't pleased at all when he marched outside, why was there vervain in the girl's system? Did she know about vampires? Clearly she had no idea that he could be one. He was still pondering about his next move when he arrived at the mansion and unfortunately ran into gloomy looking Elijah. _

_"Kol," Elijah stated. "Where have you been?"_

_"Outside," he replied smiling. "Making new friends."_

_"If you have hurt that girl…"_

_"I haven't touched her," Kol huffed and smirked. "Perhaps you should pay more attention to your own girl; judging by your face she's not doing a very good job of satisfying you…"_

_He didn't have time to finish his sentence when Elijah shoved him furiously against the wall._

_"Shut your mouth!" he snarled._

_Kol was genuinely surprised and that didn't happen very often. _

_"Well, well, big brother," he chuckled. "It seems that I was right, you really need to get laid…"_

_"What is going on here?" Nik's voice asked. _

_"Oh, nothing," Kol replied innocently. "Elijah and I were just talking about women."_

_Elijah glared at him, but didn't say anything. _

_"Really?" Nik asked grinning and turned to look at Elijah. "How is that feisty little lady of yours? I trust that you will bring her here again, I hardly got a chance to have a word with her."_

_"As I said, I hardly know her," Elijah replied coolly and marched away. _

_"Oh come on!" Nik huffed. "You think that I would embarrass you?" Nik shook his head and turned to look at Kol. "Why is he trying to hide that girl?"_

_Kol shrugged._

_"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you got his former lady friend killed."_

_Nik rolled his eyes._

_"You sound just like Rebekah. I'm bored, how about we go and pick up a fight in a tavern. After that we can pick up few cheap harlots. What do you say?"_

_"As tempting as that sounds like, I have other plans," Kol replied. "I found myself a new toy."_

_"Really?" Nik asked grinning. "Do tell."_

_"I don't think so," Kol huffed. "This one is just for me."_

* * *

><p><em>Elijah was lying on the bed, but his mind was somewhere far away. He had just fed and her blood was still giving him the blissful feeling. He needed this distraction; that was how he had justified this. Attacking his brothers certainly wasn't his normal behavior, he was a nervous wreck. No, he needed to be in control… He almost startled when her soft fingers touched his chest; she probably wanted him to hold her, as usual. <em>

_She couldn't understand how difficult it was for him to be so close to her and act like a gentleman. Her blood certainly wasn't the only thing he was craving for, but he would never sink low enough to take advantage of her like that. No, maybe not like that, but what he was doing was still bad enough. She trusted him, was grateful to him for saving her, but he was far from a hero._

_"You seem troubled," she said and touched his cheek. Her touch felt too good, it was like torture. Well, he certainly deserved to be tortured. "Do you want to talk about it? That is what people do, right? They talk about their problems."_

_"Yes," he muttered. "Some people do."_

_She hesitated for a brief moment before moving closer to him, feeling her warm body certainly didn't help him. She was wearing nothing but one of her white nightgowns and her long hair was down. The scent of her was almost too much for him to take, but he held perfectly still, allowing her to hover over him. She was observing him with a worried expression._

_"I'm listening if you want to talk."_

_He smiled and forced himself to look at her._

_"Thank you, I appreciate that."_

_She smiled too when he touched her silky hair. He had never seen anything so beautiful in his life._

_"How about you? Anything you want to talk about?"_

_He could tell immediately that she had something to say to him, but she didn't seem to know how to say it._

_"It's alright," he assured. "You can tell me anything."_

_She was still hesitating, but finally she spoke._

_"I have a request."_

_"Of course," he replied immediately. "What do you need?"_

_She looked shy all the sudden, but it didn't make her any less desirable, on the contrary._

_"I would like to kiss you. And hopefully you could kiss me back. That's how it works, if I have understood correctly."_

_He was stunned._

_"Sweetheart… No, we can't…"_

_She looked at him intently, trying to interpret the reason of his reluctance. That was what she always did, observed, studied, tried to understand. He had always loved her innocent curiosity._

_"Are you worried that it would be unpleasant? I know I don't have any practical skills, but I am a fast learner…"_

_"No, no, it's definitely not that…" He paused and closed his eyes for few seconds. She waited patiently for him to continue, but he had no idea what to say._

_"It would be completely consensual, if that is what bothers you," she said after a moment of silence. "I would only like to know how it feels like."_

_She touched his bottom lip softly with her index finger; she certainly wasn't going to make this easy for him._

_"Sweetheart… Are you absolutely sure that you want this?"_

_She nodded._

_"I wouldn't ask if I wouldn't be sure. I have considered this carefully."_

_He smiled, how could he deny this from her? She was the perfect woman, everything he had ever wanted. Just a kiss, nothing more. It would make her happy. Yes, this was purely selfless…_

_"Alright, sweetheart."_

_She seemed pleased, but then again, he rarely denied anything from her, his guilt didn't allow him to._

_"Alright."_

_She looked at him expectantly, waiting for some kind of instructions._

_"What shall I do?"_

_He got into a sitting position and looked into her eyes. All he saw was unconditional trust. He certainly didn't deserve that trust, but he would do this. Not for himself, for her, because she wanted it. That was what he told himself before cupping her chin and running his thumb softly over her full lips. He wanted her so badly that it hurt._

_"Let me know immediately if you want me to stop," he managed to say._

_She nodded; her heartbeat told him that she was excited. There was no fear, no nervousness, only curiosity. He leaned over and touched her lips softly with his. After that he paused briefly, keeping his face only inches away from hers, wanting to make sure that she still wanted this. Clearly she did, so he kissed her again, this time less innocently. He took a hold of the back of her head and pulled her towards him. _

_She tasted even better than he had imagined, he needed to taste every part of her mouth. With a slow pace his lips and tongue explored every part of hers; he could tell that she tried her best to mimic what he was doing. Her heartbeat was speeding up when he sucked her bottom lip, teasing with his teeth. Tasting her was like tasting a piece of heaven, the effect was almost as strong as drinking her blood. He would have given anything if he wouldn't have to stop; pulling away took all his self-control. She looked at him in wonder and tilted her head before slowly lying down. Her silence made him nervous; he cleared his throat and looked down at her._

_"So…what did you think?" he finally managed to ask._

_"I liked it," she replied. "I hope you did too."_

_"I did, very much so."_

_"I'm glad."_

_She took his hand when he lied down next to her and ran her fingers over his palm._

_"I would like to do that again the next time you visit me," she stated calmly._

_He swallowed, why was she doing this to him?_

_"If you want to," she added._

_"I do," he muttered. She had no idea how much. It was wrong, but he didn't care anymore. All he wanted was her._


	9. Forbidden fruit

**Part 9**

**Forbidden fruit**

Tonight was the night. Kol was truly looking forward to this. He smiled while stepping out the carriage; it was time to pick up his girl. She had already been so close to death last night, his best guess was that she wouldn't see the next sunrise. As a human, that was. He was more than curious to see how she would be like as a vampire. Magnificent, no doubt. And she would be all his, he would be her maker, sire and mentor.

The thought pleased him greatly; perhaps her illness wasn't so bad thing after all. Obviously he wouldn't have turned her so soon without it, but now he had a good reason. There was no chance that he would just let her die. No, he had other plans for her. He had already given her his blood last night, now he just needed to take her somewhere safe to go through her transition.

It was actually strange how much he was looking forward to this, he had turned more people than he could even remember and he had never cared how they handled their transition. For some reason this case was different, this was… her. His intention had simply been to seduce the girl, enjoy her body before finally enjoying her sweet blood, but now he wanted something more. The funny part was that he had actually found himself enjoying her company, even though all she had given to him was a chaste kiss on the cheek. There was something special about her and he couldn't wait to make her completely his.

She would most definitely need him after her transition; she would have no one else to turn to. Her witch friends wouldn't help her; the coven wouldn't allow that, they would simply send her among her own kind. The treaty between the witches and the vampires was fragile, neither side wanted to rock the boat. Then there were of course the werewolves and the humans, but Kol didn't really care about any of that, politics had never interested him, he left that to Elijah and Nik.

The witches did some business with vampires, when it was necessary, but they didn't socialize with them, not under any circumstances. It had become one of their most absolute rules after the massacre of the witches, which Nik had arranged by spreading some nasty rumors. Of course Kol had made few pretty witches to break that rule, just for fun. There was nothing quite like a forbidden fruit. Speaking of which…

He didn't bother to knock, he simply marched inside. There was no one in the house. He frowned and zoomed to Rosalie's room. Judging by her fading scent, she had left hours ago. No, not left, she had been taken away. His eyes darkened and he let out an angry growl. That damn witch… She would most definitely regret this.

* * *

><p><em>2 months earlier<em>

_I was an idiot. Once again I almost turned back, but I was already here, so… That was the thing, I shouldn't be here. At the Mikaelson mansion, that was. What was I doing, I had promised to Elsa… Yes, but what if Kol Mikaelson had ended up dead in the gutter somewhere because I had left him to walk home alone in that condition. I hadn't really slept last night because I had felt guilty and worried if he had got to home safely. _

_I needed to know, for my own peace of mind. I would just ask if he was alright and then I would leave. Nothing else. Yes, that sounded simple enough. I took a deep breath and opened the iron gate. I didn't get to the door when someone stopped me, a man who looked like a servant._

_"Can I help you, miss?" he asked coolly._

_"I'm looking for Mr. Kol Mikaelson," I replied, I didn't appreciate his tone._

_"Is Mr. Mikaelson expecting you?"_

_"No, but this is sort of important, so could you please tell him that I'm here."_

_He gazed at me from head to toes, judging by his look he really didn't think very highly of me._

_"And your name is?"_

_"Miss Riddle," I replied smiling. "Or he might also know me as the girl who has a habit of bumping into him."_

_The man's eyes widened, for some reason I felt a childish need to shock him a little since he already thought the worst of me._

_"Alright, Miss Riddle," he stated after pulling himself together. "Wait here, I will ask if Mr. Mikaelson has time to meet you."_

_"Thank you," I replied and gave him a sweet smile._

_I waited for a while, but Mr. Mikaelson seemed to be taking his time, maybe he was still sleeping, so I walked around in the nice garden. It was a beautiful morning; I enjoyed the sun on my face. Apple trees… I loved apples. Maybe I could take one; I didn't think that anyone would mind. Apparently someone had been picking up apples this morning; the ladders were still leaning against a tall tree. _

_I looked around, but I didn't see anyone, so I climbed up the ladders. The apples looked absolutely delicious; I reached for a juicy looking red one. I had to push up to my toes in order to reach it, just a little more… Suddenly something made me to lose my balance; I didn't have time to even gasp when I fell. I never reached the ground when someone caught me._

_"Well, good morning, Miss Aberdeen."_

_Oh no…_

_"Mr. Mikaelson," I muttered, I was definitely embarrassed. "Good morning."_

_He grinned before placing me on the ground._

_"Stealing apples, are we?"_

_"No," I replied immediately. "I wasn't stealing, I just…"_

_"I was kidding," he cut in, he sounded amused. "Take as many as you want."_

_"I was just planning to take one."_

_"Allow me," he said smiling and climbed up the ladders before I managed to say anything. It didn't take him more than two seconds to pick up an apple and climb back down. He bowed while handing the apple to me._

_"Here you are."_

_"Thank you," I replied smiling and took a bite. "Hmm… This is delicious."_

_"Yes, we have a great gardener," he replied. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"_

_My mouth was still full of apple, so I signaled him to give me a second. He was looking at me with the same amused expression than many times before, I kept my hand in front of my mouth while chewing._

_"I just wanted to see that you are alright," I said after I was able to speak again._

_He raised his eyebrows._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"You know, yesterday, you were unwell. I was worried that you had ended up dead in the gutter or something."_

_He stared at me for few seconds before replying._

_"You were worried about me?"_

_I nodded._

_"Yes, I was in a hurry, I didn't want to get in trouble, but I shouldn't have just left, I'm sorry about that."_

_He was still staring at me; he probably thought that I was weird._

_"Anyway, I can see that you're fine, so I'll just… Thank you for the apple."_

_"Wait," he said when I tried to get past him. "You must at least allow me to offer you some breakfast after you walked all the way here just to make sure that I'm alright."_

_"That's very kind of you, but I already ate. I should go now."_

_"Alright, in that case I'll offer you a ride home."_

_"That won't be…"_

_"I insist," he cut in. "Please, you don't want me to feel like an ass, do you?"_

_I couldn't help but smile._

_"Nothing personal, Mr. Mikaelson, but I wouldn't be comfortable being alone in the carriage with someone who I barely know."_

_He crossed his arms._

_"How is that not personal? You think that I would attack you?"_

_"No, no, I don't think that," I replied quickly. "I have been taught to be cautious with men and I think in most cases that cautiousness isn't a bad thing."_

_He smiled._

_"No, I suppose it's not. I have a younger sister and I would want her to be cautious as well."_

_"How old is your sister?" I asked._

_"17."_

_"Oh, she's the same age than me. Was she at the ball?"_

_"Yes, she was, you left before I had a chance to introduce you to her."_

_I bit my bottom lip; I had just remembered how strangely his brothers had acted._

_"Yes…"_

_He looked at me intently._

_"What?"_

_"Nothing, I just… Your brothers seemed a little… peculiar."_

_He grinned._

_"You don't know the half of it, trust me. But they are still my brothers, so…. How about you, do you have any siblings?"_

_I shook my head._

_"No, I would have wanted to have siblings, but…"_

_"But what?"_

_I hesitated; I certainly wasn't going to tell him my life story._

_"Things just don't always turn out the way you would want."_

_He nodded in agreement._

_"True, but if it's any consolation, siblings can be annoying as hell."_

_I smiled._

_"I'm sure they can be. I really should go now."_

_"Are your parents waiting for you?"_

_"No, I live with my aunt and I'm pretty sure she won't be pleased if I dawdle any longer, I have a lot of things to do today. It was nice to see you again."_

_"The pleasure was all mine," he replied smiling. "Trust me."_


	10. My time of dying

**Part 10**

**My time of dying**

_2 months earlier_

_Kol crossed his arms while looking at the girl walking away; clearly she was in a hurry. He certainly hadn't expected her to come here, he was pleasantly surprised. This would make his next move much easier. He frowned when he suddenly heard clapping._

_"Very nice, brother," Rebekah's amused voice said from behind his back. "I especially enjoyed the part where you made her fall off ladder and played the hero, nice move."_

_Kol rolled his eyes before turning to face his sister._

_"Bekah. Haven't anyone taught you that spying is naughty?"_

_Rebekah smiled._

_"Haven't anyone taught you that stealing is naughty?" she replied. "That was Elijah's girl, wasn't it?"_

_Kol shrugged._

_"Finders keepers."_

_Rebekah's eyebrows furrowed._

_"Really, Kol? Are you honestly trying to seduce your brother's girl? That's low, even for you."_

_"Relax, sister," Kol huffed. "She's not Elijah's girl."_

_"Really?" Rebekah snorted. "Nik thinks that she is."_

_"Well, Nik is wrong, believe me."_

_Rebekah pondered his words for a short moment before replying._

_"Who has Elijah been sneaking around with then?"_

_"Who knows," Kol huffed and waved his hand. "Or cares."_

_"Come on, aren't you at least a little curious? This is Elijah we are talking about."_

_"Yes and he's probably courting some chaste rich girl who allows him to hold her hand, if he's very lucky. I have better things to do than speculate Elijah's boring love life."_

_Rebekah grinned._

_"Like courting your little apple girl?"_

_Kol gave his sister a charming smile._

_"A gentleman never kiss and tell."_

_"Oh please," Rebekah huffed. "I heard your cute little conversation; we both know you have nothing to tell."_

_"Yet," Kol added. "Soon I will."_

_Rebekah rolled her eyes._

_"You're hopeless, Kol, always playing your little games."_

_"What's the point of eternal life if you don't enjoy it?" Kol replied. "As fun as this whole family charade is, I need some real entertainment. After all, I did spend almost a century in a coffin."_

_"You're not the only one," Rebekah muttered._

_Kol smiled._

_"Yes, your little romance with Nik's precious protégé. Speaking of which…" Kol paused and looked around before leaning towards his sister. "I would advice you to be more careful, it would be a shame if Nik would hear what the two of you are doing behind his back. Again."_

_Rebekah's expression tensed._

_"I don't know what you are talking about…"_

_"Relax," Kol hummed and placed his palm on Rebekah's shoulder. "Your secret is safe with me, sister. I'll watch your back and in return I ask you to watch mine."_

_"Meaning what?" Rebekah asked suspiciously._

_Kol smiled._

_"Meaning that you and I should stick together, we have been a good team before."_

_"If you say so," Rebekah huffed._

_"Oh come on, don't be like that. I'm not asking much, only some tiny favor for every now and then. Surely you can do that for your big brother."_

_Rebekah crossed her arms._

_"And what if I decline? Are you going to tattle?"_

_Kol grinned._

_"I'm not, but I happen to know that one of the servants saw you and… your friend together. Perhaps you would like to know which servant?"_

_Rebekah glared at him before she finally sighed._

_"Fine. I assume that you have some specific favor in mind?"_

_"Yes, as a matter of fact I do. I know you have certain…contacts in the French Quarter, what I want you to do is find out everything you can about Rosalie Aberdeen and especially about her aunt."_

* * *

><p><em>I was exhausted when I finally got home; I had walked around the whole day, delivering medicines and lotions. My stomach was growling, hopefully the dinner was ready. Elsa had promised to make her famous stew. I couldn't wait to sit down and lift my feet up… I stopped when I saw something in front of the door, a basket covered with a cloth. Why had Elsa left this here? I was just about to pick it up when I noticed a piece of paper.<em>

_"Someone who has such a warm heart deserves more than one."_

_What… I picked the basket up and lifted the cloth. Apples. For a moment I couldn't do anything except stare at the basket and the note._

_"Rosa?" Elsa called out from inside. "Is that you?"_

_Quickly I hid the note in my pocket before the door opened._

_"Hi," I managed to say._

_Of course the first thing Elsa noticed was the basket._

_"What is that?" she asked._

_"Oh… Just some apples," I replied as casually as I could. "Mrs. Donnelly gave these to me."_

_Elsa didn't seem to even suspect that I was lying to her; she had never had to worry about that before. The thought made me feel guilty, but I was too much of a coward to tell her the truth, she would be furious if she would know who these apples were really from. Why had he sent me these? And most importantly, how had he known where I lived?_

_"Well, that was very kind of her," Elsa said smiling. "It seems that we'll have some dessert. Come in, the dinner is ready."_

* * *

><p>"Rosa?" Elsa said, her eyes were filling with tears. "Rosa?"<p>

She blinked her eyes and gave Elsa a weak smile.

"It's alright, Elsa. I-I'm not afraid."

Father Kane was standing next to the bed; he had just given Rosa The Last Rites; Penance, Holy Eucharist, Extreme Unction and the Apostolic Blessing.

"Nor you should be, child," he said gently. "The Lord will welcome you home and you will be reunited with all your loved ones."

Elsa couldn't handle this, she was sobbing hopelessly.

"No…No, my little Rosa…"

"Please don't cry, Elsa," she muttered weakly. "I… I need to know that you will be alright."

Elsa was trying her hardest to pull herself together, but this was too much. For the last 10 years this girl had been her daughter and she truly loved her as much as any mother loved her child. No mother should have to see her child like this. Somehow she managed to force a smile on her face; she needed to do this for Rosa.

"I'll be fine, sweetheart, I promise."

Rosa smiled and reached for Elsa's hand.

"I love you. No one could have ever hoped for a better mother."

Elsa felt like her heart would have been torn out, but she kept the smile on her face.

"I love you too, Rosa, more than anything. I couldn't be more proud of you."

Rosa was breathing heavily; she had to struggle before she managed to speak.

"If… If you see papa, could you tell him that I love him? And…Uncle Stefan."

"Yes, of course I'll tell him."

"Thank you." Rosa paused and gathered some strength before continuing. "And… Please, don't be angry at me, but… Could you also tell Mr. Mikaelson that I love him?"

Elsa froze, that bastard…

"Yes," Elsa forced herself to say. "I'll tell him."

Rosa smiled, her breathing was slowing down. She blinked her eyes few times before closing them.

"No, no, Rosa! Rosa, open your eyes, sweetheart, open your eyes! Stay with me!"

Elsa grabbed her shoulders and started to shake her.

"Rosa, please!"

"Elsa," Father Kane said gently.

"No!"

She didn't even feel Father Kane's hand on her shoulder; she needed to wake Rosa up.

"Rosa! Wake up!"

"Elsa, stop," Father Kane said more firmly and pulled her away from the bed.

"No! Let me go, let me go, I need to…"

She couldn't finish her sentence, her whole body started to shake violently. Father Kane turned her around and wrapped his arms around her.

"It's alright, Elsa. She's in the better place now; no one can hurt her anymore."

Tears were coursing down Elsa's cheeks, her pain was unbearable.

"I failed her," she muttered. "I should have…"

"No," Father Kane interrupted her firmly. "You protected her from a demon; you gave her a peaceful death. Now that demon can never touch her again."


	11. The natural order

**Part 11**

**The natural order**

_2 months earlier_

_"What do you think you are doing?" I snapped as soon as Kol Mikaelson stepped outside, this time the servant had allowed me wait for him in front of the door._

_"Good morning to you too," he replied and raised his eyebrows. "Is something wrong?"_

_"The apples," I snapped. "Why did you send them, I thought I made it clear that I'm not interested…"_

_"Woah, woah, slow down," he cut in and raised his hands in surrender. "I thought you like apples."_

_"I do, but that's not the point. First of all, how did you know where I live?"_

_He bit his bottom lip._

_"I….asked around."_

_"You asked around?" I repeated and crossed my arms. "Is that supposed to make me feel flattered?"_

_He grinned._

_"Well, that depends…"_

_"Just stop it," I snorted. "I don't know what kind of game you are playing, but I want no part in it. I don't want anything from you."_

_He was quiet for a while before replying, he wasn't grinning anymore._

_"I sent you those apples because I wanted to somehow repay your kindness and you said you don't feel comfortable accepting expensive gifts," he stated calmly._

_My eyes widened._

_"What? What kindness?"_

_He turned his head away and crossed his arms._

_"You came here to make sure that I'm alright. That might not sound important to you, but it was to me. Despite of what you might think, I don't often meet sincere people who don't seek my company just because they want something from me. When I do meet a person, such as yourself, I try to show my appreciation. Obviously I chose the wrong way to do that."_

_I was speechless and my face was turning red, I had certainly acted like an idiot._

_"I apologize for invading your privacy," he continued and turned to the door. "I won't bother you again."_

_"No, wait," I sighed. "Please."_

_I was more than embarrassed when he turned to look at me._

_"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to act like…an ass. I just thought…"_

_What had I thought, that a man who could have any woman he wanted would spend his time trying to seduce me by sending me few apples? That didn't sound ridiculous at all…_

_"That's alright," he replied smiling. "I have a bad habit of acting before thinking, but I really didn't mean any harm, I only wanted to show you that I appreciated your gesture."_

_"It was nothing really," I muttered. "Anyone would have done the same."_

_He shook his head._

_"Not according to my experience."_

_We were both quiet for a while and stared at our shoes._

_"So…" I muttered after an awkward silence. "I better go now and let you have some breakfast. Thank you for the apples."_

_"You are welcome," he replied and held out his hand. "Friends?"_

_I couldn't help but smile; his hand felt a little cool when I shook it._

_"Friends. Just don't send me any more gifts, if my aunt finds out…"_

_"She doesn't want you to have male friends?" he asked._

_"No, I have male friends, but she doesn't want me to have friends whose last name is Mikaelson."_

_I regretted immediately for saying that, I really was an idiot._

_"I see," he stated. "May I ask why?"_

_I shook my head._

_"Never mind, I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sure if she would agree to meet you she would see that you're not a bad person, but that's not going to happen, I know her well enough. What I am saying is that we can be friends, but it would sort of have to be… a secret."_

_He smiled._

_"I understand, Miss Aberdeen, and no need to worry, I'm very good at keeping secrets."_

* * *

><p>Elsa was completely numb when she washed Rosa's body and brushed her long hair. Father Kane had given her a beautiful white dress, it fit Rosa perfectly. She looked like an angel, even if she was lying on a modest bed in the cellar of a church. The room was dark, despite of the few candles, but Elsa didn't care, she needed to do this last thing for her beautiful girl. Gently she crossed Rosa's hands over her chest and weaved daisies into her hair. Father Kane had promised to look after the body until the funeral, but Elsa couldn't bring herself to leave Rosa, not before she would be finished. She didn't want anyone else to touch Rosa.<p>

"You deserved better than this," she muttered. "If your father would have bothered to show up…"

She couldn't finish her sentence, it filled her with bitterness. Not that it mattered if he would have showed up; vampire's blood couldn't heal consumption any more than witchcraft could, not if the person was meant to die. In those cases the healing potions did ease the pain, but in the end magic didn't shape the natural order of things. As Marilou had so helpfully pointed out when Elsa had begged her to find some way, witches were the servants of nature and they had boundaries that couldn't be broken.

People were meant to be born, live and die, that was the natural order of things. Elsa had even considered looking for someone who practiced dark arts, but that kind of magic always came with a price. She had heard plenty of stories about people who had been brought back from death by using dark arts. Those stories didn't end well, she knew that. Forcing the soul to return the body from the other side was unnatural; it damaged the soul or even shattered it, turning a person into a monster.

How could she ever do something like that to Rosa? Father Kane had been right; she was in the better place now. She was safe from people like Kol Mikaelson. Elsa knew that he would come after her; she had taken his toy from him. She wasn't even slightly scared; she had nothing left to lose. Except her life, but at the moment death didn't scare her. In fact, she hoped that he would come after her; she was strong enough to cause him some serious pain before he could kill her.

The thought filled her with dark satisfaction; she wanted to make him suffer for toying with Rosa like he had. He would have used her like some object before throwing her away or draining her; he had even manipulated poor Rosa to think that she loved him. Of course that wouldn't have worked if Elsa would have been honest with Rosa about everything.

She had tried so hard to protect the girl, she hadn't told her about anything supernatural. Rosa hadn't known about witches, vampires or werewolves, but now Elsa couldn't help but wonder if she should have told her. Unfortunately it was too late; she had no choice but to live with her mistakes. Not for long though.

"It's alright, sweetheart," she said and kissed her forehead. "Rest, I'll fix everything."

She looked at Rosa one more time before blowing out the candles. Father Kane was waiting for her upstairs.

"She's ready," Elsa said, her face was completely callous. "Can I trust you to look after her?"

"Yes, of course."

Elsa nodded.

"Thank you, Father. For everything."

She didn't feel anything when she walked out. The walk home was long but she didn't stop or hesitate, someone needed to pay. It was almost morning, the sun would rise soon. Finally she reached the small house she had called home. It wasn't a home anymore, not without Rosa. She stopped in front of the door when she saw the figure lurking in the shadows; it seemed that this would all be over sooner than she had thought. She had no problem with that, she was ready.

"Show yourself you miserable coward," she hissed.

The figure stepped towards her, she gasped in shock when she recognized him.

"Damon…"


	12. Rough awakening

**Part 12**

**Rough awakening**

For a moment Elsa couldn't do anything except stare at the man standing in front of her. He looked exactly the same than 10 years ago, he hadn't aged a day. Still he wasn't that same man anymore; she could see the coldness in his eyes. There was no joyfulness, levity or even a smile left; he looked like the man who had been through hell.

"Elsa," he said, his voice held no emotion. "Where is she?"

Elsa bowed her head, she couldn't look at him. This was the man she had loved and whose daughter had become like her own daughter, how could she tell him… No, she couldn't. She would have much rather faced Kol and died fighting, she wasn't prepared for this.

"Where is she?" he repeated, this time she picked up a hint of some emotion, probably impatience.

"Damon… I… I'm sorry."

Her eyes were watering up; she still couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"Sorry about what?" he asked, his tone was completely emotionless.

"Rosa… She… She's…"

Tears were coursing down her cheeks; she didn't want to say it. Saying it out loud would make it real.

"She's dead."

The silence that followed her words was ominous; finally she forced herself to look up. He was staring straight through her, like she wouldn't be there at all.

"Damon?" she muttered cautiously.

"How did she die?"

His tone was careless, like he would have just asked her what time it was or something. Elsa gritted her teeth, hadn't Rosa meant anything to him?

"Consumption," she replied coolly.

His expression didn't change.

"Did she suffer?"

"Probably, but she wasn't the kind of person who would have complained, she didn't want me to feel bad because of her."

Damon didn't say anything; he just stared in front of him.

"She wanted you to know that she loved you," Elsa muttered. "She never stopped loving you." She paused and waited for him to say something, but he didn't. Instead he turned around and was about to walk away.

"Hey!" Elsa snapped and grabbed his sleeve. "Aren't you at least going to…"

She didn't finish her sentence when he turned to look at her, his eyes flaming in rage.

"Back away, Elsa," he said, his voice sounded foreign. "I'm struggling right now for not ripping you in pieces."

She could tell that he meant what he said, she let go of his sleeve immediately. He was gone before she even managed to blink. It took a long while before she managed to move, but finally she made her way inside. Her legs started to shake violently and she collapsed on the floor. She didn't know where she could find the strength to ever get up again.

* * *

><p>Cold. Dark. Scared. My eyes flew open; I felt that I was suffocating. Something was very wrong, my body was juddering. What was happening to me? Where was I? Suddenly the juddering stopped. I lied still and blinked few times. There was a very small crack on the ceiling. I stared at it for a while, trying to gather my thoughts. The room was dark, but I could see every small detail on the ceiling. That was strange.<p>

Slowly I got into a sitting position and looked around. I didn't recognize this room. Where was I? Footsteps. I heard footsteps. Where? I stood up and headed to the door. The floor felt strange under my bare feet. Where were my shoes? And what was I wearing? Some kind of white dress. Why couldn't I remember how I had ended up here, wherever here was? Elsa… She must be somewhere near; she wouldn't leave me alone in the strange place.

"Elsa?" I called out when I opened the door. I saw the stairs and climbed up. Everything felt and looked strange, I couldn't understand what had changed. Cautiously I opened the door and saw that I was in a church. Wait, church… I remembered talking with a priest.

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

I walked in front of the altar and looked at the candles. The flames looked brighter than they should, too bright, they hurt my eyes. I turned my head away and heard the footsteps again. I also heard some other sound, but I didn't recognize it. I liked it though, it had a nice rhythm. _Th-thump, th-thump, th-thump… _I tilted my head when the door behind the altar opened and I saw the priest. He froze when he saw me, he seemed shocked.

"I'm sorry, Father," I said quickly. "I didn't mean to scare you, I… Could you tell me how I ended up here? Is Elsa here?"

He didn't say anything, he simply stared at me. I remembered how kindly he had looked at me, but now his look was anything but kind.

"I'm sorry," I said again. "I…I should go home. Could I maybe borrow a pair of shoes?"

The priest kept staring at me while lifting a water bowl from behind the altar. I was just planning to ask what he was doing with it when he suddenly threw all the water on me. I had never felt such pain; my skin was on fire when I fell on the floor screaming.

"Time to go back to hell, demon," the priest said coldly and kicked me on my back. He had a sharp stake in his hand. Despite of the pain and the shock, I acted instinctively and grabbed his hand before the stake hit my chest. His eyes were cold as ice; no one had ever looked at me like that. Why? Why, I couldn't understand. What had I done? He was pressing the stake with both hands, forcing it down inch by inch.

"No, please!" I cried out.

"You won't stop me from saving this child's soul, demon," he snarled.

What? I screamed when I felt the stake sinking into my chest, he tried to push it deeper. The next thing I realized was that I was biting the priest's hand. The liquid in my mouth tasted divine, I had never tasted anything like it. More… I was on my feet before I even realized that I had moved. The priest was still on the floor, reaching for the stake I had apparently pulled out. The liquid… The bite marks on his hand… I wanted more, I wanted…

I almost jumped on him when the shock hit me, what was I doing? He had called me a demon… No, no… I ran as fast as I could, which seemed to be pretty fast. No… This couldn't be happening. When I was outside, a million things hit me all at once. Sounds, lights, smells… Horses, carriages, lanterns, birds, a barking dog, people… The whole world was twisted, nothing was normal. Too loud, too bright…

I kept running, but I had no idea where I was going. At some point I was almost run over by a carriage, someone shouted at me. The voices were too loud. Tears were coursing down my cheeks; I had never been so scared in my life. Was I dead? Was this hell? I ran to an alley and I pressed my back against the wall. A cat. Rats. A shouting woman. A crying child. All the noises hurt my ears. I tried to cover my ears with my hands, but it didn't really help.

Slowly I sat down and curled my legs up against my chest, praying that this was a nightmare. Something was happening. The dawn. No, no, please, no more light… When the first sunray hit my face, the pain was much worse than in the church. I screamed, I needed to get away from the light, but I was trapped, there was no place to hide. Suddenly a cloth was thrown over me and someone lifted me up.

"Hold on, darling," a male voice said. "I got you."

My whole body was shaking, the pain made me almost to pass out.

"No…" I muttered when someone lifted the cloth.

"It's alright," the same male voice said. "You're safe here, there's no sunlight. Now, let's take care of those nasty looking burns, shall we."

I heard a strange sound and then I smelled it, the sweetest scent I had ever smelled.

"Have at it," he said and placed something onto my mouth. It was his wrist. I grabbed it with both hands and drank the sweetest nectar there was. Of course I knew what I was drinking, but my mind refused to think about that.

"That's enough for now, darling," he said and yanked his wrist away. The pain was gone; I blinked few times and saw that I was in a moving carriage. The windows were covered with dark curtains. That really wasn't the most important part; I was sitting on someone's lap. Slowly I looked up and met his gaze.

"Mr. Mikaelson?" I muttered, I was more than confused.

He smiled.

"Hello, Rosalie. I apologize for not finding you sooner, it seems that you have had quite rough awakening."

I tried desperately to understand what he was saying, none of this made any sense to me.

"I… I don't…"

"Yes, I imagine you have some questions. We'll get to that soon enough, but first, allow me to be the first one to say how ravishing you look. Kind of like… a bride."

I frowned, what was he talking about? Then I realized that there were some flowers weaved into my hair.

"I don't…" I paused and looked at him pleadingly. "Please tell me what is happening. Am I… dead?"

He smiled and shook his head.

"No, darling, you're not dead, but you're not a human anymore."

"What?" I gasped. "What…am I then?"

"You're a vampire," he replied. "Just like me."


	13. Daddy issues

**If you want to see what Elsa and the other characters look like, I added links on my profile page. I would love to hear what you think :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Part 13<strong>

**Daddy issues**

_5 weeks earlier_

_"Thank you for doing this," Kol said smiling. "I really need a woman's opinion."_

_"Sure," I replied. "I just don't know how much I can help; I've never even met your sister and I don't know anything about her taste…"_

_"Oh, you're a woman and she's a woman, I'm sure that's enough."_

_"You can't be serious," I huffed. "No wonder you're still a bachelor."_

_He grinned._

_"Ouch."_

_"Too honest?" I asked innocently._

_"No, not at all. I like honesty; I get more than enough flattering."_

_"I'm sure you do."_

_I had to admit that I was curious; I had never been in a jeweler's. This certainly wasn't the area where I did my shopping; these shops were for the people who had money. I admired the beautiful gowns in the display window we were just passing; my dress looked more than modest comparing to them. _

_Perfumes, shoes, toys, books, cakes, all the shops looked very inviting. A sweetshop… I stopped in front of it and stared at the colorful sweets in the window. My thoughts returned immediately to my childhood, I remembered how papa had brought me sweets. The memory made me smile; I hadn't eaten sweets for years._

_"Do you want to go inside?" Kol asked. For a moment I had forgotten him completely._

_"No, I'm just looking," I muttered absentmindedly, I kept my eyes on the window. "The sweets remind me of my father."_

_"I see. Have he passed away?"_

_"No, he…"_

_"What?" he asked when I didn't continue._

_"Never mind," I muttered and continued walking._

_"And there it is," he sighed and followed me._

_I frowned and turned to look at him._

_"What?"_

_"I thought that we are friends," he replied. "Are you this withdrawn with all of your friends?"_

_"I'm not withdrawn," I snapped._

_"Really? You could have fooled me."_

_I crossed my arms and gave him an annoyed look._

_"I don't have a habit of sharing my personal things with everyone."_

_He nodded._

_"I'm not asking that, but it would be nice to know something about you. I mean, we have known each other for over three weeks now and you know everything there is to know about me."_

_"I doubt that," I huffed._

_He smiled._

_"Come on, give me something. Does your father live in New Orleans?"_

_"No, he doesn't," I muttered. "I haven't seen him in years."_

_"Oh. Why is that?"_

_"Because he didn't want me," I snapped without thinking and regretted immediately. "I mean… It's complicated."_

_No, actually it wasn't complicated. We had been a family and I had thought we had been happy, but suddenly he had wanted me to leave. I still didn't know his reasons, even though I had tried to ask Elsa. She hadn't given me any answers and I suspected that she was trying to spare my feelings. Maybe papa had wanted a new family. A real family, a wife and an heir, not a bastard child. I had tried not to think about that, but it was the only reasonable explanation I had come up with. I turned around and continued walking before I had to face Kol._

_"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to pressure you."_

_"That's alright," I muttered. "So, do you have some specific gift in mind for your sister?"_

_"Just some jewelry. Like I said, I'm terrible at choosing gifts."_

_"You are a good brother for wanting to cheer her up."_

_He sighed._

_"Well, it's the least I can do. But let me tell you, if I ever get my hands on that bastard who broke her heart…"_

_I couldn't help but smile, he really reminded me of Adrian. If anyone would have hurt Charlene, he would have made them suffer._

_"As I said, Mr. Mikaelson, you're a good brother," I said and touched his hand._

_"Thank you," he replied smiling. "I suppose it would be useless to once again ask you to call me by my first name?"_

_I grinned._

_"Yes, it would, I don't call strange men by their first name."_

_He sighed, but clearly he was amused._

_"You have an interesting first name though," I added. "I've meant to ask you about it, is it French?"_

_He shook his head._

_"No, it's… an old family name."_

_"Oh. I like it, it's very unique."_

_"Feel free to use it," he replied grinning._

_"Mr. Mikaelson is fine," I replied, for some strange reason I enjoyed taunting him. But to be honest, that wasn't the only reason why I didn't want to be too familiar with him. I had found myself thinking about him definitely more than I should. Yes, maybe I had some kind of crush on him, but I wasn't going to let that to cloud my judgment, Elsa had taught me better than that. _

_There could never be anything between us, period. I wasn't going to end up like mama, carrying a rich man's illegitimate child. Women like me didn't end up marrying men like him and I wasn't going to be anyone's mistress. Elsa had told me openly about intimacy, she had said that I needed to know about those things in order to protect myself from men who took advantage of naïve and gullible girls. _

_Maybe I was playing with fire, but I wanted to believe that I could be his friend, as long as I would be careful and keep my childish thoughts to myself. We walked quietly for a while until we arrived at the jeweler's._

_"Isn't that your brother?" I asked when I glanced through the window and saw a familiar looking man inside. Yes, it was Elijah Mikaelson, the jeweler was just handing him a small box. Kol's eyebrows furrowed._

_"We have to go," he said and grabbed my wrist._

_"What…" I started when he dragged me to an alley between the jeweler's and a barbershop. "What are you doing…"_

_"Please," he muttered and pushed me gently against the wall. "It's best if my brother… won't see us."_

_My eyes widened._

_"What?"_

_He looked more than uncomfortable._

_"Well… You said you need to keep our friendship as a secret, unfortunately so do I."_

_"Why?" I asked sharply. As ridiculous as it was, I felt offended._

_He bit his bottom lip before replying._

_"My brother can be a bit of… how should I put this, an elitist."_

_"What? But he invited me to your ball…"_

_"Yes, I know, but…" He paused and sighed. "If I may use your words, it's complicated. I would really appreciate if we could stay here until he's gone, it would make my life much easier."_

_I wasn't sure what to think and I still felt offended, but I nodded._

_"Sure."_

_He smiled._

_"Thank you."_

_He was standing right in front of me; his face was only inches away from mine. He was definitely too close and the way he was looking at me made me uncomfortable, I had to clear my throat and look away._

_"I'm not planning to make a run for it," I muttered. "Feel free to take a step back."_

_His smile turned into a smirk, but he did back away._

_"My apologies, Miss Aberdeen."_

_We waited silently for a moment before he went to see was the coast clear. Apparently it was, his brother was gone. For a moment I wondered had he bought a gift for their sister as well, but I didn't say anything out loud. It wasn't any of my business._

* * *

><p><em>Elijah looke<em>_d at her blinking her beautiful hazel eyes while she observed the small box he had just given to her._

_"You know I don't expect you to bring me gifts all the time?" she stated._

_"Yes, I know, but I thought you might like this."_

_She took her time before finally opening the box. Her scent made his mouth water, but he managed to control himself, he wasn't going to rush her. Yes, he had fantasized about this since he had visited her two nights ago, but he could control himself. Of course he could. That was what he kept telling himself, although he didn't even bother to make excuses anymore. _

_He wasn't doing anything against her will, she allowed him to feed on her and taste her lips. He wasn't taking advantage of her, he wasn't. Yes, she probably felt some gratitude towards him, she was sort of dependent on him and he likely was the first person who had ever shown her kindness, but that didn't mean he was taking advantage of her. _

_Besides, he was giving her nice gifts and… Who was he kidding, he was despicable. The worst part was that when he looked at her and smelled her delicious blood, he didn't care about morals anymore. His primal instincts wanted nothing except claim everything she had to offer him. Her blood, her body, her very essence._

_"Elijah…" she muttered when she opened the box and picked up a sapphire with diamond center flower pendant in 24k gold. It had cost a fortune, but that didn't mean anything to him, he only wanted her to like it. She touched it softly with her fingertips and observed it carefully._

_"This is beautiful. Thank you."_

_"You are welcome."_

_He waited impatiently for her to be ready, he really needed a drink. Finally she placed the pendant on the bedside table and looked up._

_"I was hoping that we could talk," she said, obviously something was bothering her._

_"Yes, absolutely," he replied and touched her dark brown curls. "We have the whole night, right after this…."_

_She stood up before he could lean towards her._

_"No, this is important. Please."_

_He gritted his teeth, but he was in control. At least for now._

_"Of course. What is it?"_

_She looked at him intently and crossed her arms._

_"I'm worried about you."_

_He raised his eyebrows, he certainly hadn't expected that._

_"What?"_

_She looked distressed._

_"You said that you are an old vampire, much older than my father and you can handle my blood better than him."_

_"Yes," he replied and stood up. "I can."_

_"I'm not so sure anymore," she muttered. "I'm worried…"_

_"Belle," he interrupted her firmly and took a step towards her. "Everything is fine, I promise. I'm nothing like your father."_

_That certainly was a lie; he was just as bad as her father. Maybe he hadn't kept her chained in a cellar for almost 20 years, but he was no knight in shining armor. He didn't keep her here just to protect her; he kept her because he needed her. Basically she had ended up from one prison to another one. Maybe this was a nicer one, at least he hoped so, but did that really matter in the end?_

_"I love you, Elijah," she said quietly. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you…"_

_"Hey," he cut in and stepped in front of her. "Everything is fine, sweetheart. You know you can trust me."_

_She didn't move when he kissed her forehead._

_"What if I would ask you not to drink tonight?"_

_"Then I wouldn't," he replied, although the thirst was already almost painful. "You know I would never force you."_

_She looked at him intently and touched his cheek._

_"You really mean that?"_

_"Of course I do. I would never treat you like he did. I love you, Belle."_

_She smiled warmly and took his hand, she didn't seem worried anymore._

_"Come, my love, I don't want you to be hungry. I want to give you everything you need."_


	14. Nothing but a monster

**Part 14**

**Nothing but a monster**

A vampire… No, that couldn't be true. This had to be some bad dream. First of all, there was no such thing than vampires. I was dreaming or then I was dead and this was hell. That meant that I was a demon. The thought brought tears to my eyes, had I been so bad that I deserved this punishment?

"No…" I muttered.

"Rosalie?"

For a moment I had forgotten that I wasn't alone, I was still sitting on Kol Mikaelson's lap.

"This can't be… How…"

He cupped my chin and made me to look at him.

"You were dying, so I gave you my blood," he explained calmly. "If a human dies with vampire's blood in her system, she will become a vampire. That is what happened to you."

I stared at him disbelievingly; he seemed to be very much serious. This was really happening, it wasn't a nightmare.

"You…are a vampire," I muttered.

He nodded.

"Yes. Let me show you."

My eyes widened when his face started to change, black veins appeared beneath his eyes and he had fangs. Instinctively I hissed and jumped on the bench opposite him. I had no idea what I was doing, but some new part of me saw him as a threat. He smiled and his face returned to normal.

"Oh, I knew you would be magnificent," he purred. "My little wildcat."

I was still standing on the bench with my back arched. Slowly I touched my face and felt that I had fangs as well.

"You…you did this to me."

He leaned back on his seat and grinned.

"We'll find some way for you to thank me later, but first I should probably tell you about some basic things…"

I didn't hear a word he was saying, a long growl escaped my throat before I attacked him, pulling on his jacket and shouting.

"Bastard!"

He looked completely surprised; I slapped him so hard that his head turned sideways.

"How could you! You had no right!" I snarled furiously and tried to slap him again. He grabbed my hand in a viselike grip before turning to look at me, his dark eyes flaming in rage.

"Enough," he growled warningly.

"Go to hell!" I shouted and tried to slap him with my other hand. He grabbed it too and forced me on my back, trapping me under him. I growled like an animal, showed him my fangs and struggled with all my might, but unfortunately he seemed to be stronger than me. In fact, he didn't even have to struggle to keep me in place; he kept looking at me coldly. This couldn't be the same person I had known, how was that possible.

"Get off me!" I growled.

His eyes narrowed before he revealed his fangs.

"If anyone else would have acted like you just did, I would have already ripped their heart out, but since you are a newborn and I haven't taught you the rules yet, I will give you another chance."

I glared at him venomously, but I didn't struggle anymore.

"Another chance to do what?"

He smiled and touched his sharp fang with his tongue.

"To learn. First lesson, it's not wise to attack someone who is much stronger than you. Not to mention if that person is all you have."

"What?" I snapped.

He looked at me intently before replying.

"Your life as you knew it is gone. Your friends, your family, your home, all of that is gone."

I shook my head, I refused to believe that.

"No."

"Yes," he stated firmly. "You are no longer a human, you feed on humans. Your friends and your aunt will want nothing to do with you, believe me. To them you are nothing but a monster."

His words made me flinch, this couldn't be true. Elsa wouldn't… I had attacked that priest. Kol was right, I was a monster. His eyes softened a little when I let out a sob.

"There's no need to cry, darling," he said and touched my cheek. "You're not alone; I will teach you everything you need to know."

I turned my head away and pressed my lips together.

"I want to go home."

"That's where we are going," he replied. "I'm confident that you'll adjust fine."

I didn't move when he got off me and sat down opposite me. My mind was a mess; I had no idea what to think.

"You…were a vampire the whole time?" I muttered while finally getting into a sitting position.

He seemed amused.

"Yes, I've been a vampire for a very long time."

"Why didn't you kill me then? Isn't that what vampires do?"

"I found you intriguing," he replied. "It would have been a waste to kill you."

I frowned.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

He grinned.

"Perhaps."

I crossed my arms and turned my head away, I needed to clear my thoughts. I had thought that I knew this man and I had liked him, but I didn't really know anything about him or about vampires. Sure I had heard some stories just like everyone else, but those stories had been about disfigured creatures that lived in cemeteries and rose from their coffins after the sun had set to hunt the blood of the living.

Adrian had loved to scare me and Charlene with those stories when we had been children; I remembered having nightmares about vampires. Now I was a vampire. The thought was so confusing that I didn't know how to handle it. I didn't even notice that the carriage stopped, not before Kol handed me a blanket.

"I suggest you cover yourself with this unless you want to have more burns," he said.

I didn't have strength to argue or ask where we were, I simply did as he said. He lifted me up before opening the carriage door; I tensed instinctively when I felt the daylight through the blanket. This time there was no pain, all I felt was him moving incredibly fast. No more than three seconds later he stopped and placed me on the floor.

"Welcome home, darling," he said and lifted the blanket. I was in a huge living room, this certainly wasn't my home.

"Where are we?" I muttered. "I want to go home."

He raised his eyebrows.

"There's no other home for you, not anymore. I thought we've been over this already."

"I want to go home," I repeated stubbornly. "I want to see Elsa."

"Why, so you could drain her?" he snorted. "Not that I have a problem with that."

"I would never hurt Elsa," I snapped.

He laughed and shook his head.

"Oh darling, you are a newborn vampire, you would hurt anyone for their blood."

"No!" I shouted and grabbed the nearest object within my reach, a coffee table. Kol didn't say anything when I threw it against the wall.

"I want to go home! You had no right!"

I couldn't control myself, I started to rampage like a wild beast, destroying everything I got my hands on. Kol crossed his arms and observed me carelessly; despite of my rage, I didn't try to attack him.

"What the hell?" a male voice said from the door.

"Everything is under control, Nik," Kol replied. "She's a newborn."

"I don't care," the man snapped. "Stop her or I will."

I didn't hear what they were saying; I was ripping the sofa in pieces. I had never felt such anger and I needed to let it out. Maybe the lack of control should have scared me, but it didn't. In some way it was liberating.

"Rosalie," Kol's firm voice said. "I order you to stop."

To my shock, my hands stopped moving immediately and I dropped what was left of the sofa. I looked up and met Kol's gaze.

"What…what did you do to me?"

"It's called a sire bond," he replied calmly.

"You sired her?" the other man said before I managed to speak. "How naughty of you…"

He didn't finish his sentence when he took a better look at me.

"Wait a minute… This is Elijah's girl."

"No, she's not," Kol huffed. "Everyone knows that, except apparently you."

The other man, who I now recognized as Kol's brother, frowned.

"Who is this girl then?"

"She's mine," Kol replied.

"No, I'm not," I hissed. "If you think…"

"Silence," he ordered. "The playtime is over, darling."

I tried to shout at him, but I couldn't. That didn't stop me from picking up a candlestick and throwing it at him. He dodged effortlessly; his look told me that I had gone too far.

"My, my," his brother chuckled. "That's quite a wildcat you got there, brother. Are you sure you can handle her, I can just tame her for you…"

"That won't be necessary," Kol replied icily. I swallowed when he took a step towards me. "I'm more than capable of doing that myself."


	15. Instinct of self preservation

**Thank you for the reviews, favs and alerts :) Yes, Rosa will remember the things Stefan compelled her to forget and there will be Damon scenes in the next chapter, including a flashback about Rosa's birth.**

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><p><strong>Part 15<strong>

**Instinct of self preservation**

I tried desperately to stay calm when Kol closed his bedroom door. Quickly I scanned the room, but there was no place to run, especially when the curtains were open and the sunlight filled most of the room. I had no choice but to back away towards the wall. The room was big and it was decorated with dark colors, every single object looked expensive. The canopy bed, the dresser, the bookshelf, the armchairs, the desk, the coffee table, the closet, the chest next to the bed, the paintings on the walls, the candlesticks, the ornaments, the rugs and even the dark blue curtains. I had never been in a room like this, but I certainly couldn't admire it, not in a situation like this.

"Tell me, Rosalie," he said while running his fingers over the doorknob. "What should I do with you?"

My back was against the wall, but I really couldn't move, not if I didn't want the sun to burn me. Why didn't the sun burn him? I didn't say anything; he waited few seconds before turning to look at me.

"I saved you from death, not once but twice, I offered you a home and my guidance and how did you repay me, by attacking me and disrespecting me in front of my brother," he stated icily. "So tell me, what should I do with you?"

"I didn't ask to be turned into a monster," I snapped. "Did you honestly expect me to thank you?"

His eyes narrowed.

"No, I suppose not. That would have been a _smart_ thing to do."

"Right and I'm stupid," I snorted. "Is that the worst insult you can come up with?"

He was right, I was stupid, I had believed all his lies. I had cared about him, maybe even loved him. If that didn't make me stupid, I didn't know what did.

"You really have no instinct of self preservation, do you," he stated icily. "Do you have any idea what I could do to you?"

I glared at him.

"Besides turning me into a monster and forcing me to obey your commands?"

"There are worse things," he replied. "Much worse."

I snorted and turned my head away. No more than a second later I was pinned against the bed; his dark eyes were glaring at me threateningly. I tried to move my hands, but he had trapped them over my head.

"Now you will listen to me very carefully," he snarled. "So far I have been more than patient with you, but my patience ends here. You will show me gratitude and obedience, whether you like it or not. I am your maker, your sire and a much older vampire; as such I am entitled to proper respect."

"Is that some kind of monster rule?" I muttered, trying not to sound too insolent, I did have some instinct of self preservation.

"No, it's my rule," he replied coldly. "And you will obey it."

"Fine," I hissed. "You can force me to obey you, but you can't force me to respect you, that must be earned."

I didn't look away, although his glare was piercing. There was nothing left of the person I had thought he was. I flinched when he suddenly touched my cheek, his lips curved into a smirk.

"Oh, my sweet Rosalie… I knew that I chose well."

"What?"

His thumb was caressing my neck while he observed me with an amused expression, I was becoming very nervous.

"Could you get off me," I muttered, trying to sound calm. "You are crushing me."

He didn't say anything; he simply kept staring at me. I tried to move under him, but I was completely trapped. I wouldn't be able to fight him off if he would… The thought made me to turn my head away, his gaze made me feel completely exposed. I had never been in a situation like this; I hadn't had to really be afraid for my safety. The most twisted part was that despite of my fear, his touch felt strangely… pleasant. That certainly didn't make any sense.

Maybe I had been attracted to him before all of this, but he wasn't the person I had thought he was. We had never even kissed and I definitely didn't want to kiss him now. Kissing wasn't my biggest concern though, I was afraid that as my "sire", whatever that meant, he would expect me to share his bed. Maybe that was normal in a situation like this, I had no idea how vampires acted.

"Please get off me," I managed to say.

"That depends," he hummed. "Have you learned your lesson?"

"Sure," I muttered.

"Really? What did you learn?"

I had no idea what he wanted me to say, being trapped like this was starting to make me panic.

"Please… I can't breathe…"

"You don't breathe, darling," he stated. "Look at me."

I didn't want to, but my body obeyed his command. Slowly I started to understand what kind of trouble I was in, he could order me to do anything.

"Are you afraid?" he asked calmly.

"No," I muttered defiantly.

He smiled.

"Not a very good liar, are you? But in any case, you can relax. I'm many things, but I'm not that kind of monster."

I looked at him cautiously; trying to interpret was he telling the truth.

"However," he continued. "That doesn't mean that I wouldn't punish you if you don't learn how to behave. You will never act like that in front of my brother again. Is that clear?"

I started to understand what this was about; he didn't want to look weak in front of his brother. We had talked about his family few times and I had read between the lines that he had a complicated relationship especially with this brother. Perhaps that part hadn't been an act.

"Is that clear?" he repeated impatiently.

I nodded.

"Yes."

"Good," he huffed and stood up.

I tried to get up as well, but I couldn't, I was completely exhausted. This couldn't be normal; I couldn't even lift my head.

"I… something is wrong," I muttered.

He glanced at me and walked in front of the window.

"Your body requires some rest," he said while closing the curtains. "That's normal after the transition and your little temper tantrum. And besides, we are basically nocturnal."

I blinked my eyes sleepily.

"Why doesn't the sun burn you?"

"So now you want me to teach you?" he snorted. "We'll see after you wake up, but I expect an apology first before I even consider answering to your questions."

I was too tired to comment on that, I curled into a fetal position and wrapped my arms around me. Some part of me tried to fight, I didn't know was I safe here, but eventually I lost. Just before I fell asleep, I felt someone tucking me in and stroking my cheek.

"Sweet dreams, my little wildcat."


	16. My baby girl

**Part 16**

**My baby girl**

_Mystic Falls, 17 years earlier_

_Damon was pacing back and forth in the hallway; he had never been so nervous. Was it normal for the childbirth to last this long? He didn't have any experience about that and his father certainly hadn't wanted to share his experienced with him. Damon had needed to really fight before his father had allowed Maria to live in their home during her pregnancy and give birth here. _

_He hadn't agreed until Damon had threatened to leave with Maria and never come back. Maybe he should have done that, he had just turned 18 and he wanted to be an honorable man, but how could he leave his little brother? Stefan was sitting on the floor, playing with his tin soldiers. His little brother had tried his best to keep him company, but Stefan was just like any 10-years-old boy, he didn't have patience to simply stand around doing nothing, at least not for long. _

_Damon almost jumped when he suddenly heard Maria's screams, she had been quiet for a while. He should be with her and he certainly would have been if the old midwife wouldn't have practically thrown him out, according to her men were completely useless during the childbirth._

_"She's hurting," Stefan said and looked up._

_"Yes," Damon muttered._

_"Does having a baby always hurt?"_

_"Yes, it does."_

_Stefan thought about it for a moment._

_"It only hurts her? Not you?"_

_"Yes!" Damon snapped angrily and slammed his fist against the wall. "She's hurting because of me, happy now?"_

_Damon regretted his outburst immediately when he saw the frightened look on Stefan's face._

_"I'm sorry, Stefan," he sighed and bent down to touch his brother's shoulder. "I'm just worried about her and about our…child."_

_The thought of having a child still felt foreign to Damon, although he had seen Maria's growing belly and he had even felt the child moving inside her when she had placed his hand on her belly. Still he hadn't fully comprehended the whole thing. He certainly hadn't planned for this to happen. Maria was a year older than him and she was the only girl he had ever been with, he had always been quite clumsy with girls. _

_He didn't care that she was a maid and an orphan, he loved her and he wanted to look after her like an honorable man. Except that he wasn't an honorable man, he was a coward. When Maria had told him that she was with child, he had planned to marry her and foolishly asked for his father's blessing. That had certainly been a mistake and in the end he hadn't been strong enough to defy his father, he had given in. _

_In return his father had arranged a small house for Maria and the child and agreed to support them, but no one could ever know who the child's real father was. Giuseppe had made it very clear that he wouldn't allow anyone to desecrate their family name. Damon closed his eyes when the screams were getting louder, she was really hurting. Suddenly it was quiet, he couldn't hear a sound. No… No, no, he needed to… He froze when he heard a very different scream, the first cry of the baby. He or she had a very strong voice. That was good, at least he thought so. He was a father…_

_"Can I see the baby?" Stefan asked, he had stood up and moved next to Damon._

_"Soon," Damon promised. "First I need to make sure that everything is alright."_

_It didn't take long when the door opened the midwife stepped outside, wiping her hands on her apron._

_"You can go in now," she stated._

_"Is…is everything alright?" Damon managed to ask._

_The woman nodded briefly._

_"Both are fine. She was asking for you."_

_"Wait here," Damon muttered to his brother and headed slowly to the door. His hand was shaking when he pushed it open. Maria was sitting on the bed under the cover; her back was leaning against few pillows. She looked exhausted, her dark hair was tangled and she was pale, but Damon didn't think that she had ever looked more beautiful. It was because she had never looked so happy. The little bundle in her arms was wrapped inside a blanket, she was gently cradling it. Damon didn't move, he wanted this moment to last forever. Finally she looked up and gave him the biggest smile._

_"Hi," she said tiredly._

_"Hi. Are you…"_

_"I'm fine. So is she."_

_Damon swallowed._

_"She?"_

_Maria nodded._

_"Yes, we have a daughter. She's beautiful."_

_Slowly Damon approached the bed; he couldn't get his eyes off the bundle. He had a daughter… Carefully he sat down on the edge of the bed and reached to kiss Maria's forehead. The bundle seemed to be asleep, she was very…small. And red. That was probably normal. The only newborn he had ever seen was Stefan, but this was very different. This was his child._

_"Would you like to hold her?" Maria asked smiling._

_"Me? I… I don't know how," he muttered. "I don't want to hurt her."_

_"Don't be silly," Maria giggled. "She's not made of glass; just support her neck like this."_

_Damon didn't have a chance to protest when she placed the bundle in his arms. He had never felt so clumsy in his life, he was almost afraid to breathe. Suddenly the baby blinked her blue eyes and opened her mouth, but she didn't make a sound._

_"She has your eyes," Maria sighed, her head was leaning against Damon's shoulder._

_The baby's eyes were open now; she seemed to be looking straight at Damon._

_"Hey…you," he muttered. "We don't have a name for you yet…"_

_"I would like to name her after my nana," Maria cut in. "If that's alright with you."_

_"What was her name?"_

_"Rosalia. But I thought that maybe our girl should have a name of her own, so what do you think about Rosalie?"_

_"Rosalie… I like it."_

_"Really?"_

_Damon nodded, the name felt right for her._

_"Yes, I think it fits her."_

_"How so?" Maria asked._

_"Well, she's red as a rose…"_

_Damon couldn't finish his sentence when Maria slapped his shoulder._

_"Hey!" she protested playfully. "How dare you, mister!"_

_"I humbly apologize," he chuckled. "She's nothing but perfect. Just like her mother."_

_"Oh, you think that flattering will get you off the hook, do you?"_

_He smiled and gave her a tender kiss._

_"Hopefully."_

_Rosalie let out a cry, like she would have demanded her parents to notice her. Damon smiled when he looked at her, she really was perfect. So tiny and helpless. His baby girl. He made a silent vow to her that he would always look after her and protect her. No matter what it would take._

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><p>"Leave the bottle," Damon muttered to the barmaid who was pouring him another drink. He wasn't nearly drunk enough. Dead. His baby girl was dead. Just like Maria and Katherine. He had nothing left. The last 10 years had been a living hell, but the thought of Rosalie had brought some light into his darkness.<p>

Once again he looked at the small picture he always kept with him. It was a photo of him and 6-years-old Rosa, he was holding her in his arms and she had wrapped her little arms around him. They both looked happy. He felt a tear rolling down his cheek, he hadn't cried for 10 years. Nothing mattered anymore; he had no reason to… His thoughts were cut off when someone bumped into his table, spilling ale all over him.

That was all he needed, no more than a second later he had attacked this man, who unfortunately was a vampire. People gathered around them when they wrestled on the floor, some of the man's friends joined the fight. Damon didn't care; he was so full of pain and rage that he needed to take it out on someone. He didn't feel the punches, he couldn't feel anything. People were cheering around them and the whole room was spinning.

"Enough!" a male voice shouted. Damon was too out of it to see who this man was, but apparently he had authority; all the other vampires obeyed him, they left Damon lying on the floor.

"What is this?" the same male voice asked.

"He started it…" one of the vampires muttered.

"That's your excuse for causing a public scene? Perhaps you would like to give your explanation to Klaus…"

"No! I mean… I'm sorry, Marcel, we were just leaving."

Damon blinked few times, trying to stop the room from spinning.

"You," the male voice said firmly. "Get up."

"Who died and made you the king…" he muttered before someone yanked him to his feet.

"I'm not a king," the man replied. "But I'm close enough, at least in this town. If someone comes here to cause trouble, they will have to deal with me and my family."

"Good for you," Damon murmured, he had some trouble to stand. Finally he managed to sit down and started to look for his picture. It was gone. No.

"Shit…"

"Looking for this?" the man asked and placed the picture on the table. Damon grabbed it immediately and put it in his pocket.

"Cute girl. Your daughter?"

"She was," Damon muttered. "She's dead now."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

He sounded sincere, but that didn't mean anything to Damon, he didn't need anyone to tell him how sorry they were. His little Rosa was gone, nothing could change that.

"I couldn't save her…"

The man was quiet for a while before sitting next to him.

"Look, as I said, I'm sorry for your loss, but if you are planning to stay in this town, you will have to respect our rules, no public scenes. Otherwise you will see me again and that encounter won't be pleasant. Am I making myself clear?"

"Sure, why not," Damon huffed and took a long gulp out of his bottle. "I'm not planning to stay in this lousy town anyway."

"Well, good luck to you," the man said and tapped his shoulder before standing up.

Damon stared at his bottle for a long while after the man had left. This wasn't what he needed. He stood up and walked out. The night was cold; it helped him to clear his head. He needed to be with the only person who felt the same pain than he did. The house was dark, but he could tell that she was in there. His sweet Elsa. She had always been his loyal friend. Of course he had noticed that she had felt more than friendship towards him and he had tried to be as discreet as possible, he hadn't wanted to hurt her. Slowly he walked over to the door and knocked. It took a long while before she opened the door, she looked more than miserable. For a moment they both just stood there quietly.

"Come in," she finally said.

No words were needed after that, they both wanted to ease the pain, just for a short moment. The primal need to find some comfort was all they thought about when they tore each other's clothes off. He didn't care if it was wrong or right, he only wanted to forget.


	17. Amazing grace

**Thank you for the reviews, favs and alerts and thank you guest reviewer for correcting my spelling mistake :)**

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><p><strong>Part 17<strong>

**Amazing grace**

_"Who wants to die next?" Uncle Stefan said smiling. "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe…"_

_"No, no, please," the doll begged. Except that she wasn't a doll, she was a person. How was that possible? I looked around and saw that all the dolls were people; some of them were lying dead on the floor. There was blood everywhere. One of the dolls was looking straight at me with her tearful eyes. "How can you do this in front of a child?"_

_Uncle Stefan picked me up and ruffled my hair._

_"Oh, she won't mind, this is fun! Isn't it, Rosie?"_

_I nodded and wrapped my arms around his neck._

_"Uh huh. Can I play too, Uncle Stefan?"_

_"You want to play with the pretty dolls? Go ahead, pick one."_

_"Really?"_

_"Absolutely," he replied smiling. "Pick anyone you want."_

_I looked at the dolls who were people, they were crying and begging. This wasn't right, dolls didn't cry._

_"That one," I said and pointed at one of them._

_"No!" she cried out._

_"As my lady wishes," Uncle Stefan said and kissed my cheek before placing me on the sofa. "Sing for me, Rosie. You know how much I enjoy your singing and I know that the dolls enjoy it too."_

_I smiled at him, I loved to sing._

_"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found, 'twas blind, but now I see. 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed..."_

_While I sang, Uncle Stefan grabbed the screaming doll and bit her neck. She was looking straight at me, tears coursing down her cheeks. I sang and I smiled when the light in her eyes began to dim._

_"Oops," Uncle Stefan said when he dropped her lifeless body on the floor. "I dropped your doll, how clumsy of me. Choose another one."_

I opened my eyes in panic and started to shake, the nightmare made me burst into tears. Just a dream, just a dream, just a dream… I wrapped my arms around me and rocked myself, trying to calm down. Where was I? The room was dark, but I could see every detail clearly and slowly I started to remember. I was a vampire and I was in Kol Mikaelson's bedroom.

Quickly I got into a sitting position and scanned the room, he wasn't here. I lifted the covers and stood up. How long had I slept? It was dark outside, which meant that the sun had set. I was hungry, hungrier than I had ever been before. Blood… I needed… No! No, I refused to become a monster. Could a vampire survive without blood? I didn't think so. So hungry…

Suddenly I remembered how I had drunk Kol's blood in the carriage, it had tasted divine. Maybe he would allow me to drink his blood again. Or maybe not, he hadn't been pleased with me. That wasn't good, I needed to please him, I needed… Wait, what? I didn't want to please him, what the hell was wrong with me? What I needed was to get out of here and find Elsa, surely she would help me.

I marched to the door and noticed that it was locked from outside. Great, apparently I was a prisoner. Or not… I remembered how I had ripped the sofa in pieces with my bare hands; surely a door wouldn't be a problem. It wasn't, I managed to yank it open without much effort. The hallway seemed to be empty.

Cautiously I tiptoed across it, but suddenly one of the doors opened and a blonde woman stepped outside. In that moment my hunger made me to completely lose control and jump on her. She had damn fast reflexes; she grabbed me in the middle of my leap and tossed me on the floor. Before I could control myself, I let out a growl and showed her my fangs. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you kidding me?" she huffed.

"I'm hungry," I heard myself growling, although my voice sounded foreign.

"Do I look like a human to you?" she snapped, the black veins were appearing beneath her eyes.

"Oh…" I muttered. "You're…like me."

If my hunger wouldn't have distracted me, I would have noticed that. She didn't have a heartbeat and her scent was…non-human. It wasn't unpleasant, on the contrary. She smelled very sweet.

"No kidding?" she snorted. "Who the hell are you… Wait, I know you."

"What?"

I jumped to my feet and observed her cautiously.

"You're Kol's apple girl," she said and clicked her tongue. "I can't believe he actually turned you, usually he gets bored with his toys faster."

"Excuse me?" I snapped. "I'm not anyone's toy."

She seemed amused.

"Sure, whatever you say."

I wasn't sure what to say, who was this woman? After a short hesitation I asked the question out loud.

"I'm Rebekah," she replied.

"Oh, Kol's sister."

"That's right."

We both observed each other for a brief moment; she was very beautiful, just like Kol had said.

"I'm sorry about the whole… attacking you," I muttered. My hunger was getting worse, but I was more or less in control.

"When were you turned?" she asked.

"You mean when did I become… a vampire?"

Saying it was still strange.

"Yes," she replied.

"I… this morning, I think."

"Right… You don't look so well."

"I don't feel so well," I muttered. "I'm so hungry."

"I can believe that," she huffed. "And Kol left you alone?"

"Do you know where he is?" I asked, I felt a strong need to see him. Why, I had no idea.

"No, I'm afraid not."

My hands were shaking, I felt ill.

"Miss Mikaelson?" a woman's voice said.

Oh no… I tried to back away when the woman approached us, but my hunger was stronger. Fortunately Rebekah stopped me and shoved me against the wall.

"Ah ah," she scolded. "Not her, no one does my hair better."

I growled in frustration, making the woman to freeze and stare at us.

"Go, Claudette," Rebekah ordered. "Now."

The woman didn't need to be told twice, she left as quickly as she could. I would have attacked her and drained her without hesitation. The thought brought tears to my eyes, I really was a monster.

"No…" I muttered. "I can't… I don't want to be… like this."

For a moment I thought that I saw a glimpse of sympathy in Rebekah's eyes.

"Listen, I know you feel quite…unpleasant right now," she huffed. "It will get easier."

I shook my head.

"I don't want it to get easier; I don't want to kill anyone."

She rolled her eyes.

"Right, you're one of those vampires… Controlling the hunger is almost impossible for a newborn, but in time you will learn to control it, if you still want to. Then you can just take small sips here and there, I know some vampires who like to do that."

"Really? They don't… kill people?"

"No, some of them don't."

I was more than relieved to hear that it was possible for a vampire to live without taking lives. The only problem was that my hunger was driving me crazy; there was no chance that I could just take small sips. There were people somewhere near, I could smell them.

"Please help me," I pleaded desperately. "I'm begging you; don't let anyone come near me."

I was very much aware that she had no reason to help me and for a moment I thought that she wouldn't.

"For heaven's sake," she snorted and handed me her wrist. "I can't believe I'm doing this, but here."

I looked at her cautiously, wanting to be sure that I understood her correctly.

"You mean…"

"Yes, drink," she huffed. "This isn't a long-term solution, but it should ease your hunger for now. Hurry up before I change my mind."

I nodded gratefully and grabbed her wrist with both hands. Her blood tasted almost as good as Kol's, I drank greedily until she yanked her wrist away. I kept my eyes closed for a moment, enjoying the perfect feeling.

"Your blood is delicious," I muttered without thinking.

She raised her eyebrows and gave me an amused look.

"I'm sorry, was that a wrong thing to say? I'm new at this so I really don't know the vampire etiquette."

That made her laugh.

"The vampire etiquette? You really have a lot to learn, apple girl."

"It's Rosalie," I muttered.

"Yes, I know. Come on, it seems to me that you could use a drink. An alcoholic drink, that is."

I followed her to the living room, which I had destroyed earlier. Now it looked flawless with new furniture, there was no trace of my rampage. Kol's brother was sitting on the sofa with two women; I stopped in the doorway when I saw him.

"Well, well," he said grinning. "Look who's here."

"Don't start, Nik," Rebekah huffed and walked over to the bar cabinet. "She's having a rough day."

"Yes, I imagine that destroying my living room must have been exhausting."

"Sorry about that," I muttered, biting my bottom lip. I noticed the multiple bite marks on the women, but they didn't seem scared at all, on the contrary. Obviously he noticed me looking at them, his smirk grew wider.

"Go ahead, love," he said and touched the other woman's hair. "My treat."

"No, thank you," I replied as calmly as I could. Fortunately I could control myself now.

He raised his eyebrows.

"Why not?"

"A humanitarian vampire," Rebekah huffed; she was just pouring some liquid into two glasses.

His eyes widened before he burst into laughter.

"You can't be serious," he chuckled. "Kol is going to love that."

"I don't care what he thinks," I snapped. "I'm not his property."

"In a way you are," his brother argued. "He's your sire, which basically means that he can do anything he wants with you. My condolences."

"Why don't you go jump in the lake," I hissed without thinking.

His eyes narrowed before he stood up.

"What did you say?"

Me and my big mouth…

"Let it go, Nik, she's just a foolish baby," Rebekah huffed and walked over to me with two glasses. "Apologize, apple girl. Now."

Her tone told me that she was more than serious, so I figured that it was best to swallow my pride.

"I'm sorry," I forced myself to say. He didn't seem satisfied, but he sat down between the two women.

"I would watch my tongue for now on if I were you," he snorted. "Perhaps my brother allows you to talk to him like that, but I certainly don't. Understood?"

I nodded, although I would have liked to tell him what I thought about his macho act. Jerk…

"Here," Rebekah said and handed me a glass.

"What is this?" I asked.

"Bourbon," she replied.

I had never tasted it or much any alcoholic beverages, but why not. The small sip made me wince and earn a laugh from both Mikaelson siblings.

"This tastes terrible," I muttered. "No offence."

"Oh, she really is a baby," Kol's brother chuckled. "How sweet."

I glared at him, but I was smart enough for not to say anything. Rebekah emptied her own glass and took mine. I couldn't help but to notice how quiet the women had been, they were just sitting perfectly still like…dolls.

_"Who wants to die next…"_

Suddenly I felt nauseous, something was wrong. Blood… Dead people… No, it had been just a nightmare.

_"Go ahead, pick one…"_

I started to shake.

"Hey, apple girl," Rebekah said. "Are you…"

I barely made it to the hallway and bumped into someone before I threw up.

_"Sing for me, Rosie…"_

No. No, no, no… A nightmare.

"What…" a male voice said.

Somehow I managed to look up enough to recognize him as Elijah Mikaelson, he looked completely stunned.

"Not on the rug!" Kol's other brother complained, he and Rebekah had come after me.

"What…what is she doing here?" Elijah asked.

"She's with me," Kol's voice replied, he had appeared behind Elijah. "Come here, Rosalie."

I was unable to speak or move, but my body still obeyed him.

"Kol," Elijah said tensely. "What have you done?"

"This isn't any of your business, brother," Kol replied coolly. "I suggest you focus on your own girl."

He took my hand and led me away from his siblings; he didn't say a word before we were in his room.

"What is going on with you?" he asked after closing the door behind us.

I wasn't looking at him; I was frozen like a statue.

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found, 'twas blind, but now I see. 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed..."

After finishing the song, I started to giggle hysterically. He stared at me like he would have suspected that I had just lost my mind. Maybe I had. It had been a nightmare, nothing else. Just a nightmare.


	18. Trouble in paradise

**Part 18**

**Trouble in paradise**

"Get someone here to clean up this mess," Klaus snorted, he wasn't pleased at all, he had liked this rug. Elijah seemed more than tense, but that wasn't anything new, he hadn't really been himself lately. Klaus had thought that this girl had caused that change, trouble in paradise perhaps. Elijah surely knew how to pick them.

"I have things to do," Rebekah muttered and marched away, leaving her brothers standing in the hallway.

"So," Klaus started. "That's not your little lady then?"

"I told you, I barely know her," Elijah murmured.

"Yes and yet you lied to me about her name. Abigail, was it?"

"She was my guest and therefore her safety was my responsibility," Elijah snapped. "Obviously I failed."

"Yes, so it seems. Are you planning to march to Kol's room and lecture him?"

Elijah pressed his lips together; Klaus noticed that he seemed particularly tense tonight.

"I have…errands to run," he murmured. "Excuse me, brother."

Klaus was truly curious now; clearly Elijah was hiding something juicy. Perhaps it was time for him to find out what that something was.

* * *

><p>Kol crossed his arms and observed the girl; she seemed to be quite upset. She was sitting on his bed, her legs curled up against her chest. He had no idea what was wrong with her and he wasn't very thrilled to find out, this was all inconvenient. Hopefully the transition hadn't somehow damaged her mind; he knew few cases where that had happened.<p>

"Rosalie?" he said impatiently. "What is wrong with you?"

She shook her head.

"I don't know. I… I had this…dream."

"A dream?" he repeated and raised his eyebrows.

"A nightmare," she muttered.

"Ah. It was just a dream, forget it."

She didn't say anything; hopefully she didn't expect him to comfort her or something. Things were supposed to be easy after she would be a vampire; he had thought that she could finally forget her foolish inhibitions.

"Listen, why don't we get you someone to eat," he huffed. "You'll feel better after you have fed."

"I'm fine," she muttered. "I already fed."

"What?"

"Your sister…allowed me to feed on her."

Kol frowned.

"Why did she do that? We have plenty of humans here…"

"No," Rosalie snapped. "I won't kill anyone."

"You can't be serious," Kol snorted. "Darling, you're a vampire…"

"I'm not a monster, I refuse to become one. I'm not going to hear their cries and sing when their dead bodies hit the floor."

"What?"

"Never mind," she muttered and looked at him. "I'm asking you not to force me to become a monster, I'm aware that you could do that if you would want to."

He had to admit that he was surprised, she sounded almost… submissive. Almost, there was still a hint of defiance and obstinacy in her voice. He had no problem with that, her strong will was one of things that made her interesting, she was no delicate flower.

"What are you planning to do then?" he snorted. "Starve to death?"

"No, I… Rebekah said that I will in time learn how to control my hunger. I was hoping that you could help me with that."

He burst into laughter.

"You're kidding, right?"

She shook her head.

"No, I'm not."

"Why would I possibly want to do something like that?"

She kept her head high, apparently trying to look dignified.

"If you do, I will repay you."

"Really? How are you planning to do that?"

"You had some reason to make me a vampire and do the whole…sire thing, didn't you?" she replied coolly.

He smiled.

"Yes, perhaps I wanted a servant. You know how difficult it is to find good help these days."

He saw a glimpse of anger in her eyes, but she controlled herself quickly.

"Fine," she replied icily. "I have no problem with household chores."

"I was kidding," he said grinning. "Where's your sense of humor, darling?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"What do you want then?"

He waved his hand.

"We'll see. Assuming I'll decide to grant you the favor you are asking."

She looked at him expectantly but he didn't continue, instead he stretched his arms and sat down on one of the armchairs.

"Well?" she finally asked. "Do we have a deal?"

"Sure, darling," he replied lazily. "Why not."

He didn't think for a second that she would continue deceiving herself for long, but apparently she couldn't yet embrace what she was now. He would most definitely change that.

* * *

><p>Elijah was a nervous wreck; he had waited for this the whole day. He could only hope that Belle wouldn't want to talk for long before… He wasn't just despicable, he was pathetic. An addict. He had a sweet beautiful girl who loved him and trusted him and this was what he was giving to her in return? She deserved so much better and he certainly didn't deserve her.<p>

If he would have been truly noble, he would have given her a chance to find someone who would treat her like she should be treated, but unfortunately that wasn't an option. First of all, just the thought of losing her felt devastating and second of all… well, there was his little addiction. He hated himself for it and the guilt was consuming.

Despite of everything he had done, he had still considered himself as an honorable man, at least most of the time. There was nothing honorable about taking advantage of someone who was dependent on him. If he would have only known 15 months ago what he knew now, he would have acted very differently. Or would he?

Somehow he felt that his fate had been sealed the moment when he had first laid eyes on her in that filthy room. Things hadn't meant to go the way they had, his intentions had been purely selfless. No, they hadn't. It was hard for him to admit it, but all he had done was making excuses, he had known exactly what he had been doing. For once in his life he had allowed himself to follow his urges, he hadn't cared about the consequences.

Surely he deserved everything he got now, but she didn't. No, she didn't deserve any of this. It was funny how his hunger made him to forget all his self-loathing as soon as he arrived at the house. This time Alma was still awake, it seemed that she had been waiting for him.

"Elijah," she greeted him with her typical careless tone as soon as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

"Good evening," he replied, trying to sound as calm as possible.

The witch crossed her arms; she looked even stricter than usually. She was wearing a simple black dress and her silver-grey hair was up in a bun.

"Not even flowers?" she asked sharply. "And I thought that you are a gentleman."

"Pardon?" Elijah asked, he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Wait here," the witch huffed and marched to the living room. She returned after few seconds with few red roses and shoved them to him. "Here."

Elijah was very confused.

"What…"

"I'm only going to say one thing to you," Alma stated firmly. "Be nice. She deserves that much."

With that she turned around and marched towards her room. Elijah stared at the flowers, what was going on here? He had no idea, but he had a bad feeling. Somehow he made his way upstairs, there were candles burning all over Belle's room. She was sitting on the bed reading something, her hair was down and she was wearing some kind of white petticoat. Oh no… She looked up when she heard him entering the room, her face brightened.

"You're here," she said smiling and almost jumped to her feet. He couldn't move when she walked over to him and hugged him tightly. "I've been waiting for you."

He was unable to speak when she pulled away and looked at the roses.

"For me?"

Apparently he nodded; she smiled while taking the flowers and smelling them.

"Thank you." She paused and observed his face, he had no idea what his expression told her. "You seem upset?"

He cleared his throat before replying, he needed to regain control.

"I'm fine. What…what is all this?"

She smiled and bit her bottom lip.

"I would like this to be our special night," she replied. "I'm ready and I want to be with you."

Her words made him to lose his voice again, this was… He didn't even know what this was. Even the kisses and caresses had felt wrong to him, but this… Lord knew that he wanted her, but how could he live with himself if he would do this?

"Belle…" he started tensely.

"I know," she cut in and took his hand. "You need to feed first, I understand. Come."

She led him towards the bed, but he stopped her.

"No, I need you to listen to me," he muttered. "I can't do this."

She turned to look him, she seemed confused.

"But… I thought… You said you find me attractive."

"Yes, I do, I absolutely do."

She looked even more confused.

"What is the problem then? We are a couple, yes? I love you and you have said that you love me."

He couldn't bring himself to look at her, this was a nightmare.

"I do."

"Then why…"

"Because I'm not the person you think I am," he snapped, he couldn't control himself. "I'm not some kind of hero or even a gentleman. I haven't kept you here just because I would want to keep you safe; I have kept you here because of your blood. You might think that you love me because I have maybe treated you a little better than your father, but I'm really no better than him and I hate myself because of it. Please forgive me."

Complete silence followed his words; he was too much of a coward to look at her. Finally he had to. Her face was completely callous; she was staring in front of her.

"That doesn't mean that I wouldn't love you…" he started, making her to slap him as hard as she could.

"How dare you," she hissed, he had never seen her angry before. "Am I nothing more to you than some mindless doll? A poor damaged girl who is unable to think for herself?"

"No, no, you're not…"

"Get out," she hissed. "Get out!"

He caught a glimpse of her tears before she turned her back on him. There was nothing he could say that would make this any better; he had just broken her heart.

"I'm sorry," he muttered before walking out, the sound of her sobs made him to grit his teeth. What had he done? The hunger was painful, but he didn't care about that. He deserved this.


	19. Mama let the devil in

**Warning, there are some dark themes in this chapter**

* * *

><p><strong>Part 19<strong>

**Mama let the devil in**

_The swamp area somewhere outside of New Orleans, 18 years earlier_

_"Mama?" Belle said quietly. Her mother was sitting at the table, staring outside through the window of their small cottage. It was dark outside and Belle was tired, but she didn't want to leave her mother. They would wait for her father together, just like every night. Belle wasn't sure how long he had been away, but her mother was getting sadder by each passing day. It broke Belle's heart, but she didn't know what to do to help her. Why didn't papa come home?_

_"Mama?"_

_"He's coming," she muttered. "I know that he is, he wouldn't just leave us."_

_Belle took her mother's hand and pressed it against her cheek._

_"Please don't be sad, mama."_

_Her mother let out a sob and lifted Belle onto her lap._

_"My little girl… You know how much mama loves you."_

_"I love you too, mama," Belle said and wrapped her little arms around her mother. They sat there quietly for a while; Belle snuggled against her mother and almost fell asleep._

_"My special girl…" her mother muttered. "I will keep you safe, no matter what. Your father and I will both keep you safe as soon as he comes back. He is coming back, I know that."_

_"Yes, mama," Belle muttered sleepily. She couldn't understand why she needed to be kept safe; her mother just kept telling her that she was special. She had never seen other people besides her mother and father; they had always lived here, in the swamp. She didn't miss anything else, how could she when she didn't know that anything else even existed. She had her own little world, it was all she needed. Her mother hummed quietly and stroked her hair, Belle felt safe and warm in her arms. She was almost asleep when a sound from outside startled her._

_"Suzanne!"_

_"Joseph…" her mother gasped and placed Belle quickly on the floor. "Joseph!"_

_Belle rubbed her eyes sleepily when her mother ran to the door and unlocked it as fast as she could._

_"Joseph!"_

_"Help me, Suzanne…"_

_Belle followed her mother to the door and saw the blood on her father's shirt, he had been hurt._

_"Dear Lord," Suzanne gasped and wrapped her arm around her husband. "It's alright, I'm here. Come inside, let me see."_

_"Mama…" Belle muttered and backed away when her mother helped her father in the house. "That's not papa."_

_"What?"_

_Joseph looked straight at Belle and smiled._

_"Now what makes you say something like that, sweetheart? Haven't you missed your papa?"_

_Belle was too scared to say anything; she couldn't understand what had happened to her father._

_"Joseph?" Suzanne muttered._

_"Yes, dear? What is it?" he asked smiling._

_Suzanne was pale as a ghost when she started to slowly back away._

_"No… Please God no…"_

_Joseph's smile grew wider while the black veins appeared under his eyes._

_"No, my dear, God has nothing to do with this. I am god now."_

_Suzanne's eyes were filling with tears._

_"No, please Joseph, this isn't you…"_

_His laugh interrupted her._

_"On the contrary, this finally is me. Did you honestly think that I enjoyed living in this disgusting place and listen to your whining day in and day out? And why?" He paused and glanced at Belle who was too scared to move. "Because of this little freak. Let's be honest here, shall we, she's not even mine, is she?"_

_Suzanne gasped in shock._

_"Yes, she is, she's your daughter."_

_Joseph snorted contemptuously._

_"It doesn't really matter. Now I have actually found some use for her." He paused and held out his hand. "Come to papa, sweetheart."_

_"No!" Suzanne shouted and attacked him. "Run, Belle, run!"_

_Joseph's eyes darkened when he grabbed Suzanne and sank his fangs into her neck._

_"Mama!" Belle cried out. Tears were coursing down her mother's cheeks when she looked at her daughter one last time._

_"Run…"_

_Belle didn't run, all she could do was to watch her father draining the life out of her mother. The whole thing was over within seconds, but to Belle that moment felt like forever. This was happening because of her and she didn't do anything. Her father dropped her mother on the floor like she would have been a trash. He licked his bloody lips and smiled at Belle._

_"Give your papa a kiss, sweetheart."_

* * *

><p>Belle sat on the bed her hands folded in her lap, she was done crying. The pain she felt was unbearable, but she could only blame herself for that. She had been foolish enough to think that someone could actually love her. What a joke. Elijah didn't love her or even considered her as a real woman with real thoughts and feelings; to him she was nothing more than some kind of broken doll.<p>

Not to mention he clearly thought that she was either blind or stupid, why else would he have "confessed" something so obvious? Of course he didn't keep her here just to keep her safe, she would have to be an idiot for not to see that. She knew better that well how much vampires enjoyed her blood, but she hadn't mind him feeding on her.

He had never done that roughly or without her consent, she had chosen to let him feed on her because she loved him and she wanted him to be happy. Why else would she have stayed here? He didn't think that she even knew what love was; that was probably the most hurtful part. She had opened herself up to him completely, given him her heart, soul, blood and her body, if he would have wanted it. He didn't want it, why would he.

The humiliation made her to clench her fists, how could she have been so stupid? When she had first seen him, she had thought that he was an angel and he had certainly acted like one. He had been kind and understanding, treated her with patience and gentleness she had never thought even existed. He had never been cruel or even raised his voice; she had felt safe with him. How could she not love a man like him?

She did know what love was, despite of what he seemed to think. It was selfless and unconditional, putting someone else's needs before your own. Her mother had loved her like that and despite of everything her father had done to her, she still remembered how love was supposed to feel like. She had felt it with Elijah. Not because she would be grateful to him, she loved him because of who he was; a kind and gentle man.

It was painfully clear to her now that he didn't feel the same. She allowed herself to shed few more tears while getting dressed; she needed to get out of here. It didn't matter that she didn't have any place to go, how could she stay here. She was too much in pain to think clearly and she didn't want to run into anyone, so she climbed out the window. As soon as she reached the ground, she started to run.

The night was cold, but that didn't matter, she wanted to outrun her pain. Elijah had said that it was too dangerous for her to go outside and maybe he had been right, but she didn't care anymore. After 18 years of fear and loneliness she had dared to hope for something better, but the truth was that she didn't deserve it. Her mother had died because of her; that was something she could never make right.

What was even worse, at some point she had stopped hating her murderer. Joseph had been the only person she had seen in 18 years and sometimes she had enjoyed his company, as twisted as that was. He hadn't always been cruel, sometimes he has had good days and he had been almost kind. Then there had been bad days, and worse days, but she rather not thought about them. She hadn't thought of him as her father, he had been just Joseph, the man who had killed her mother.

Maybe Elijah had been right, how could someone like her know how to love. She had tried her hardest with him and that hadn't been enough. Fresh tears filled her eyes as she ran; she had never been outside like this. Sometimes she and Elijah had sat in the garden to enjoy the sunrise or admire the night sky; he had been too concerned of her safety to take her any further from the house.

She had no idea where she was going, but she kept running. Somehow it eased the pain, she felt free. It was late, so the streets were practically empty, she only passed two carriages. That was until she noticed the group of men ahead, they seemed to be drunk. And they weren't men, they were vampires, she could see that immediately. She stopped and turned around as fast as she could, but it was too late, they had already smelled her. No more than a second later one of them appeared in front of her.

"Well, hello there," he said grinning. "What is a pretty little thing like you doing outside alone in this hour?"

She didn't say anything, it would have been useless. Deep down she had wanted this to happen, she wanted her suffering to end. It would be fitting; she would die the same way than her mother. Calmly she looked at the man, his friends had surrounded her. There were four of them, which meant that this would be over soon. She didn't move when the man touched her hair.

"You smell good enough to eat…"

He couldn't finish his sentence when he suddenly started to gasp before falling down. Another man was standing behind him, holding his heart in his hand. This man had blondish hair and blue eyes; he gave Belle a charming smile.

"Good evening, miss."

He was a vampire as well, although there was something strange about him. The other vampires attacked him immediately, but he killed them all within a second. Belle couldn't move, she could tell that this wouldn't end well. To her, that was.

"Some people just don't have any manners," he huffed and licked his bloody fingers. "Well, no need to worry, they are gone now. Although…"

Belle shivered when he tilted his head and inhaled her scent.

"They were right about one thing. You truly smell good enough to eat."


	20. Euphoria

**Warning, there's some violence in this chapter**

* * *

><p><strong>Part 20<strong>

**Euphoria**

_Blood… So much blood… I couldn't move, I was squishing my doll against my chest._

_"Look who's up, brother! Did you have a nightmare? Come here, Rosie…"_

_"No! Rosa, don't look! Close your eyes, sweetheart, close your eyes!"_

_No… I couldn't understand…_

_"It's alright, sweetheart, papa will fix this…"_

_"Come on, brother! You are too weak to make her forget, let me do that…"_

_"No! Stay away from her!"_

_"You want her to remember? You want her to have nightmares for the rest of her life? Fine…"_

_Dead. Blood. Empty eyes looking at me…_

_"Do it."_

_"There, there, Rosie, don't cry… Look at me, sweetheart… I'm going to make everything alright again…"_

"Rosalie?"

I startled when I heard Kol's annoyed voice, for a moment I had forgotten where I was. These strange images in my head didn't leave me alone and I really couldn't understand them. How could I have nightmares when I was awake?

"Oh, I'm sorry," Kol snorted. "Am I boring you? But why you wouldn't be bored, it's not like I'm trying to teach you anything important, just what things can harm or kill you."

I cleared my throat before replying, I had a nasty headache. My first night as a vampire had been exhausting and it wasn't even over yet. I was sitting on an armchair opposite Kol, he had agreed to answer to some of my questions.

"Yes, I heard you," I muttered. "The sun, vervain, wooden stakes and decapitating. Although that would probably kill anything."

"If only," Kol huffed, he seemed to be thinking about something unpleasant.

I hesitated a moment before continuing.

"I would like to know about the sire bond."

He looked up and grinned.

"What about it?"

I tried to look as calm as I could, although his tone really annoyed me.

"What does it mean exactly?"

He leaned back on his seat and smiled.

"It's a special bond between the maker and his or hers progeny, which would be you."

I bit my bottom lip, trying to decide how to continue.

"Does it mean that I have to do whatever you say?"

"If I order you then yes. Otherwise no."

"I see," I muttered. "Anything else?"

"Nothing important," he replied casually. "Just relax, darling, things could be worse."

"How?" I snapped before I managed to stop myself. "I'm basically your slave."

He rolled his eyes.

"How melodramatic. Come on, I know that you enjoyed spending time with me, don't bother to deny it. I can tell when a woman wants me."

I glared at him and crossed my arms.

"You don't know anything."

"Really?" he hummed, smirking obnoxiously. "I know how your heart started to beat just a little faster whenever I 'accidently' touched you. I know how you blushed when you 'accidently' saw me without a shirt. I know that you have dreamt of me, I heard you saying my name once while you were asleep. Shall I go on?"

I pressed my lips together and turned my head away.

"None of that means anything," I muttered, I didn't bother to deny his words. "I… I liked the person who I thought you were and maybe… maybe I was attracted to him, but you are not that person, I have no idea who you are."

He gave me his best seductive smile and leaned towards me.

"You have plenty of time to find that out, darling," he purred. "And I can guarantee that you will enjoy the ride."

"Why me?" I muttered, wanting to change the subject. "I'm sure you don't have a problem finding women who are more than willing to throw themselves at you."

"True, but where's the fun in that? You on the other hand…" He paused and leaned closer. "I like your spirit. And you are not too unpleasant to look at either."

"Ass," I murmured angrily. To my annoyance, that made him chuckle.

"Why, because I appreciate beauty? Besides, we both know that the feeling is mutual, you said yourself that you are attracted to me."

"Was," I snapped. "I was attracted to you."

"Oh please…"

"Attraction is more than looking at someone's physical appearance, at least to me," I muttered without looking at him. "Not that I would expect you to understand."

I couldn't believe that I was actually having this conversation with him, especially in a situation like this. Despite of everything, I needed him, I knew that. Going home definitely wasn't an option; I would never forgive myself if I would hurt Elsa or anyone else. Maybe he had toyed with me for the last two months and I certainly wanted to ask why, but right now I simply needed to forget it and swallow my anger.

"Anyway, can we continue with the lesson?" I asked. "Please teach me more."

He grinned.

"You know, darling, being a vampire is something you need to experience yourself. Come on, we have at least three hours before the dawn…"

"No, no, I can't," I protested. "I'm not ready to…go out."

"Why not?" he huffed.

"I'm just not."

The truth was that I was terrified of losing control; I wasn't sure at all that he would stop me. I knew that I wouldn't be able to control myself if I would run into a human, no matter who this human was. A child… Just the thought was horrifying.

"I would like to stay here," I added as calmly as I could.

"Fine," he snorted. "I however need a bite."

A part of me really wanted to join him, but I remained seated when he walked out. I sighed and wondered what I should do now. There were still flowers weaved into my hair and I was wearing the same white dress. What I really wanted was to wash up and change my clothes. Unfortunately I had no other clothes and I didn't dare to leave Kol's room in order to find some clothes, I didn't want to run into anyone.

After a short hesitation I walked over to Kol's closet and took one of his shirts, hopefully he wouldn't mind. I found a beautiful bathroom; I had never seen anything like it. There was a basin, a big bathtub, few shelves for neatly folded towels, expensive soaps, bath oils and some other bottles which content was unknown to me and of course a large gold framed mirror. I stopped in front of the mirror and looked at my reflection.

Right now it seemed that nothing had changed, my face look the same than before. I tilted my head and touched my cheeks, they felt normal. That was probably a relief, although I wasn't normal anymore. Yet when I looked around in the nice bathroom I felt strangely serene. At least I could concentrate on normal things now and wash up in peace before Kol would come back.

* * *

><p>Elijah felt worse than he had ever felt when was finally at home. He had walked around for hours, trying to clear his head and forget the hunger. His discomfort didn't matter; he deserved it after what he had done to Belle. He needed to somehow fix this, no matter what it would take. If he would just go to her and try to… His thoughts were cut off when he was passing the study.<p>

Her scent… No, that couldn't be possible. He swallowed before opening the door. Niklaus was sitting on one of the armchairs with a blissful smile on his face. No… Belle was on the armchair next to him; she had curled her legs up against her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She didn't look scared, her face was completely blank. She had bite marks on her neck. No, no, this couldn't be happening…

"What have you done?" Elijah heard himself asking, although he couldn't even recognize his own voice.

"Brother!" Niklaus greeted him cheerfully. "Come and join me!"

Elijah was unable to move, he was staring at Belle.

"Sweetheart?"

She didn't say anything or show in any way that she would have even noticed his presence.

"I have to say that I never thought that you are selfish," Niklaus hummed. "Keeping something like this just for yourself… Not very nice, brother. I would have shared her with you."

"You have no idea what you are talking about!" Elijah shouted. "You don't know what you have done!"

Niklaus laughed and leaned back on his seat.

"Oh, I think I do. Right now I'm floating in the sea of endorphins, all thanks to this lovely little creature. What is she anyway, she hasn't been exactly talkative."

Elijah was furious, he wanted to attack his brother, but Belle's safety was more important. He zoomed in front of her and scooped her up. Her body tensed, but she didn't say anything.

"It's alright," he muttered.

"Don't take her too far," Niklaus hummed lazily when Elijah carried her towards the door. "And don't think for a second that you can keep her for yourself anymore, we'll share her for now on. I think Kol would like to have a taste too…"

Elijah wasn't listening; he needed to get Belle out. Where was he supposed to take her? There was no place where she would be safe, not when Niklaus had tasted her blood.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," he muttered, although he knew how useless his words were. He had done this to her and he would never forgive himself for that.

* * *

><p>Klaus had never felt more euphoric in his life; the whole world looked and felt different. Better. Kol would most definitely want to have a taste. Unlike Elijah, Klaus wasn't going to be selfish; the girl had enough blood for at least the three of them. Besides, Klaus wanted to go out hunting and filling few other quickly growing urges and he wanted Kol to join him. Elijah wouldn't be a fun company, that was for sure. Kol on the other hand…<p>

Klaus stood up and headed to his little brother's room. He felt weightless, like he would have been floating in the air. His mind was blurry; all he could think about was satisfying his primal urges. Very primal. Kol wasn't in his room; Klaus was just about to leave when someone came out from the bathroom. A woman. A half naked woman. That was all his mind could comprehend. She would give him what he needed.

He couldn't see her frightened look or her attempts to cover herself. He couldn't hear her confused words; all he saw was her body which he wanted to claim. Her eyes widened with terror when she understood his intentions. She tried to run, but he caught her easily and forced her on her back on the floor. She was screaming and fighting as hard as she could, but he barely even felt that. She bit him when he claimed her lips, but that only made him want her more. She had a very nice body; he could feel it when she squirmed under him.

"Kol!" she cried out desperately. "Kol!"

She was only wearing a shirt which reached her to mid-thigh; he was just pulling the hem of the shirt up when a sharp pain on the back of his head snapped him out of it.

"What the hell, Nik!" Rebekah's voice shouted, she had just hit him with something. "Have you lost your damn mind!"

He blinked few times, the first thing he noticed was the sobbing girl under him. What…

"Get off her," Rebekah snarled and shoved him. "Come here, apple girl."

The girl didn't hesitate to obey; she was on her feet in a fraction of a second.

"It's alright," Rebekah said and wrapped an arm around the trembling girl. "Come with me."

She sent Klaus a brief scowl before leading the girl out. He was unable to move, what the hell had just happened?


End file.
